Hoshi no Senshi
by Lazlo Pizazzlo
Summary: As a Star Warrior, my destiny was to destroy Nightmare and his plans to rule the universe. Little did I know that I was meant to be part of his scheme in the first place. ::Discontinued::
1. Prologue

_Hi, everyone! It's good to see you again after that annoyingly long wait. I've been editing, writing, and rewriting every single part of this freaking story, it's not even funny. Believe it or not, I'm not quite sick of it yet. The thing is, I need you all to stick with me for a while and help me make it through this one! It's gonna be kinda long!!_

_Kirby. Yeees, Kirby. Super Smash Bros. Brawl really opened up my eyes to this wonderful series, so I'm happy to announce that I am now an avid fan of it! But the real star of tonight's show is Sir Meta Knight. There are so many theories out there as to where he came from...or how he was made. Interesting, I thought, so here it is, my own fanfic displaying where I think he came from! _

_Questions? Comments? Read, review, and make me joyful. Oh, and Happy Holidays!_

_-Laz_

_Everyone belongs to Nintendo/ HAL Labs 'cept for Bishamon. XD And Ebisu and--[brick]_

* * *

"_**Check."**__ he spoke, smirking as he placed his rook to D-5. _

_In the darkness of a large room was a chess board that hovered in the cold air, not minding that its master had been playing, rather, strategizing on it for hours. On it were several pieces, each physically unique, but in the dark player's mind, they all represented one thing: he versus his enemies. Each was classified into pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, and of course, the player was the king. The pieces he was using were scaled-down figures of terrifying and menacing creatures, in which he owned the real live ones in a proud manner._

_He grumbled as he saw a fault in his plans; the enemy could easily move his knight to F-3 to take out his bishop. He placed a finger over his rook and traced a line mid-air to D-4, and the rook slid over and took the place of the knight. The knight was transformed into a beast, and the player quickly snatched it and set it aside happily._

_The one thing that troubled him was that his opponent seemed to become more skilled as the weeks went by. He needed a boost of power; something to help finish his opponent off once and for all. He scanned the chess board and found that his originally-created knights were missing._

"_**A knight; I am in need of a knight.**__"_

_This became increasingly obvious to him as the seconds ticked by; he had obtained a most powerful sword, Galaxia, that could do unimaginable things, but the sword had to choose the owner. Galaxia chose by how much power a warrior had, but unfortunately there was no one in his army strong enough to wield it. Its way of rejection was by death; he had lost too many to that fate before. After pondering, he decided to store it away in a secret place and set a guard over it so that his enemy would not be able to obtain it. Perhaps if he found a knight so powerful, he could use him to wipe out his adversary._

_His main rival was Sir Arthur of the Galaxy Soldier Army, a group of warriors bent on bringing down his plans of universal conquest. Anyone who stood in his way was to be wiped out, but somehow, they wouldn't go down, nor stay down. Simply thinking of the group made him hot with rage; his plans were not going well._

_Nevertheless, he continued looking at his board, trying to find another solution. The chances of creating a knight with the power that could hold Galaxia was slim; his servants were well-trained in the matter, but not that well. But alas, he could not see past the knight issue. _

"_Your Darkness, Nightmare, we have good news," a voice called from above, interrupting his small game. Nightmare stopped his actions, but did not look up._

"_**What is it?**__" Nightmare asked harshly, expecting inferior and unimportant reports._

"_If I may, sir, we have found the location of the Star Warrior who is able to wield the Sacred Sword…at least, we are about ninety-seven percent sure…" the servant trailed off, hoping to get consent to continue from his ruler. Nightmare continued to his planning on the board. The servant took a silent deep breath in wariness. "Lucky for us, he's just a small puffball—"_

"_**If it is Arthur, then find him and kill him. You need not my permission.**__"_

"_No, sir, actually, it is not."_

_This caught his interest drastically. Nightmare looked up at his servant. "__**Is it Falspar?**__"_

"_No, your Darkness…" _

"_**Who is it, then?**__" _

"_His name is…" the servant looked through a stack of papers quickly, scanning for the name. "…Meta."_

"_**Meta.**__" Nightmare echoed. There was a pause that seemed to last years as the wizard thought things through. Could this be the knight he needed in order to carry out his plans successfully? If it was, then he could crush the entire universe in a blink of an eye, but if it wasn't…wouldn't he still get another warrior? It looked to be a win-win situation for Nightmare._

"_Your Darkness…?" the demon beast cautiously asked, making sure that his master was alright._

"_**Meta…Knight.**__" Nightmare let the two words form together aloud. It sounded coldly harmonious.__"__**Meta Knight; excellent. Send Bugzzy and Bishamon out to find him. Bring him to me after he's been altered enough to accept my commands."**_

"_Physically or mentally, sir?"_

"_**Both.**__" Nightmare grinned. The demon beast nodded and exited the large corridor. Nightmare, now more than overjoyed, turned back to the chess board and searched it for any other flaws to take care of. Seeing none, he formed a small, perfectly round sapphire ball and set it directly in front of himself, admiring it greatly._

"_**Checkmate, Arthur.**__"_


	2. I

_Wow! I'm super excited about the response the Kirby fanfiction community gave me...and just on the prologue, too!! Thanks so much, everyone, I really appreciate all the reviews, alerts, and favorites. And patience, too. Thanks a whole lot for the patience. XD_

_This chapter sets the stage, describing a while before this time period in a nutshell. I know it's not the most exciting of parts, but next round has a few twists and turns (action if you wanna call it) included. If you're confused, lemme know. I'll straighten anything out for anyone. _

_So, here's the first actual chapter! I'm eager to hear what you guys have to say about it...Enjoy!_

_-Laz_

* * *

Rain pattered against the ground and trees surrounding me. It had been cloudy and gray all day, so it didn't surprise me that the weather was turning slightly gloomier than before. The rain did not shake my thoughts, nor did it discourage me; it only added to the mellowness I wanted. In fact, I noticed my walking pace actually became slower than it previously was. It would have been odd for me then, yes, but at that time, I decided it was genuinely normal.

A small chill rushed throughout my small body as a cold breeze swept by me. It was definitely turning into the brisk autumn weather I had known for a seventeen years. It would soon be eighteen, if I even lived that long. I cradled myself to keep warm as I began to see my breath cloud into the air. Perhaps I should shorten my walk and head home, I thought. But there was no one counting on me to be home; my parents were dead, I had no close friends, or any family for that matter. All I had was a village full of people who obsessed over my safety because of who I was.

I looked up at the sky and saw that the sky was significantly darker than when I left and knew I had been out for at least a few hours, maybe more. Hopefully they didn't send anyone out to search for me; they would have gotten lost in the place I was. Besides, I had no interest in being found and tended to. I only wanted to be alone.

That day marked the third anniversary of my parents' death; the attack on my village. The evil wizard, Nightmare, sent a fraction of his minions to search for Star Warriors and eliminate anyone in his path of universal conquest. My parents were in the way on purpose, sacrificing their lives for me, and they were struck down with no hesitation. In result, I was left alone by force to take care of myself, which was hard for me for the first few years. It still hurt to try to live in the same house without two vital members of my family.

Coincidentally, it had also been three years since I was told I was a Star Warrior—a person whose destiny was to fight Nightmare and his demon beasts. My parents had told me two days before the attack, leaving me such short time to gather myself together and decide if being a Star Warrior was good or bad.

But the thing that concerned both my fellow villagers and I was if Nightmare had enough of us yet. Though it had been three years since then and everything was quiet, that only left Nightmare to form new plans to find us again and eliminate our species once and for all. But all of us assured ourselves that the chances of that was one to a trillion; even I didn't know how many planets there were out there in the universe. Not only that, but we were small round balls with shining eyes, blushing cheeks, and large feet. I doubted that we would pose a threat to his plans.

Perhaps, though, there was a reason. Maybe he was after me—a Star Warrior.

I had heard frightening tales about Star Warriors taken from their homes by force and never being heard from again. I was told of four in specific, and although the other three's names escaped my memory, I knew the most famous and known one: Sir Arthur. He was snatched by Nightmare's demon beasts, but he somehow escaped and started the Galaxy Soldier Army, a band of soldiers and Star Warriors that revolted against Nightmare. Everyone valued him and almost worshipped him, thinking that he would be the one to end this war.

It was also rumored that Arthur gave me my name when I was a small infant: Meta. Of course, I doubted it with no thought – the others always guessed with connections between things that it was hard to judge if they were right or wrong. But really, such a high esteemed person giving someone like **me** a name? There was no possible way in a thousand years he would stoop to such a level.

Even so, Arthur was my esteemed role model. I longed to see him, especially since I was a Star Warrior, but meeting him face-to-face was unlikely. He had tremendous power, especially with his mystical sword, Excalibur that could slice through anything with ease. I often dreamed of joining the Galaxy Soldier Army and sacrificing my life for him. The one thing that held me back was that I had no experience whatsoever with a sword or any weapon at all. I prayed that they would have some sort of training set aside for me there; how else would I be able to fight?

A small muffled clap of thunder echoing throughout the blackened sky awoke me from my thoughts. Water was pouring without end on me, bringing shivers along with it. I frowned as I pondered whether to return home quickly or not. The last thing I wanted was my village going over-protective on me like they always had. Everyone had heard of me being a Star Warrior, and they wanted to do everything in their power to keep me safe from any kind of harm.

Nevertheless, I forced myself to hurry back to the village and dry off. Though I hated the thought of it, I had to go and assure everyone that I was alright. Ideas of dinner that awaited me and panicking villagers sped my pace up little by little. My stomach roared for food – I had definitely been out longer than I intended.

I ran out of the forest and into the small place I lived in quickly to escape the water from above. The place I lived wasn't exactly luxurious, and I knew and accepted that fact. Because of our small size, we could not build things easily, and Nightmare's repeated massacres only made it worse by drastically decreasing our species' population. With each blow we took, we became more isolated, smaller, and more tense. Everything caused us to fall into what looked like poverty. We had no luxuries such as cars or electricity—the only water source we had was a small well at the very end of our community. The size of the entire place was about fifteen meters wide and thirty meters long; it was a fairly small community after how many killings we had encountered.

However, we were all used to our way of life; one of the benefits that a small town brought was that we knew one another's names by heart. We constantly exchanged advice to everyone; all had strong friendships and no one argued or hated a group or one. Surprisingly enough, Nightmare brought on something good: we all shared a common hatred for him, and thus, there were no feuds. But that did not mean we were happy all the time; we were all so concerned about the war that we could not focus on anything but Nightmare.

Oddly enough, no one was out in the center of town waiting for me. I could only see the flickers of candlelight from the insides of the small homes. Before anyone could notice me, I silently slipped into my small home, shutting the wooden door closed behind me. My house, like my village, was very lowly; the floor was simply the dusty ground and the walls were made from the leftover wood that was older than me times two. Other than the occasional piece of rugged furniture perched on the ground, there was nothing much in my living quarters. My most valuable furniture, my bed, was covered in a navy blue blanket and set in the corner below a window.

It was the only home I ever knew, and I lived in it all alone. The environment was dark most of the time, and though it used to frighten me, I had adapted quite easily. The dark became something of a brother to me, or perhaps just an acquaintance that brought mysterious comfort to me. It made me stronger and more immune to imaginary horrors, like the ones found in dreams.

I found a small rag tossed over my bed and began to dry myself off with it. I shivered again; my small frame was preventing me from regaining and retaining warmth. I started to envy all those families that were so happy and carefree together. They all had warmth to share with one another, and I had no one.

I snatched a dull white candle from the ground and lit it, hoping that the flame would produce enough heat to warm me up. My hand reached to the small table next to me and picked up a photograph that had been there forever. It was of my parents and me together as a family; I was about ten at the time, and we all looked so happy and innocent. Exactly one year had past since the attack, but it felt like it happened a week ago. If only we knew what was to come…

I quickly tossed the photo behind me, refusing to let myself fall into that tragic memory again. It was about time I forgot it all and moved on. I remained here in existence for a reason, and I had to find and carry out that reason instead of mourn over deaths that happened years ago. I had to be strong for both my mother, father, and myself.

Grumbling, I fell back into my bed. Though I was happy I was still alive, living this life was unbearably tough. I knew what I was and what I should do, but what made things worse was that it was set in stone for me. I had no option of opting out to be a Star Warrior. What relieved me was knowing that there were more Star Warriors out there, perhaps ones that felt like I did. Then I wouldn't have to do this alone. Most of the Star Warriors at the time were joined in the Galaxy Soldier Army. It was my plan that in a few years, I would join the Galaxy Soldier Army and help win back the universe.

There was just something was holding me back from just getting up and leaving now. It was believed that after the attack that my parents were killed in, Nightmare gave up on this planet we lived on. For the most part, we were relieved, but it was simply too abrupt of an end to his actions that made us all suspicious of his activity. This long of a silence could mean he was scheming something. What if Nightmare came back and there was no one to offer protection and fight? And what if the Galaxy Soldier Army arrived too late? Everyone would be wiped out, and it would be my entire fault. I decided that it would have been best for me to stay for a little while longer in case if something happened. That way, I could keep order in the village just long enough to make sure nothing would happen.

But I could not stay here forever. At this point, I was clueless and torn with either direction: should I stay or go?

My stomach started to feel sick out of worry, eliminating my hunger and replacing it with drowsiness. I looked up at the cloudy sky as another rumble of thunder echoed among the heavens. Perhaps I would be sent a message after I slept. As the darkness grew around me, I closed my golden eyes and took a deep breath, finally letting myself fall into slumber.


	3. II

_Haha, good evening, all you night owls out there! I kind of posted a little later in the night than I expected...XD; But thanks again for your patience--this week has been so packed full of school...man! I hate it so much. _

_Dream sequence headed your way! I like this one a whole lot since it gives you-know-who and Meta a chance to...bond (?) together. I think you'll like it, though it's short. _

_Enough rambling! I hope you enjoy this chapter of Hoshi no Senshi!_

_-Laz_

* * *

"**Do you not have any regrets?"** a hauntingly low voice suddenly spoke smoothly.

Hearing it caused me to flinch and open my eyes, but I saw nothing but darkness. Confused, I tried to find my strength and escape, but when I pulled my hands close, I heard the jangles of chains rattling against each other. The voice cackled heartily. He took pleasure in my helpless movements.

"**I finally found you."**

My voice made its way into the bitter air. "Who are you? Where are you??" I asked as I shook in fear.

That sickening laugh echoed throughout the room as what looked like chess pieces began to appear around on black and white squares. I managed to sit up to get a grasp of my surroundings; I was on a black square…on a chess board.

Chess, I pondered for a moment. Then, I remembered that a common metaphor for a complex and villainous plan was a game of chess. The king and queen were the leaders; rooks, knights, and bishops were the higher-ranked minions, and pawns were used as dirty sacrifices. My chains faded away and my hands became free, but I soon recognized that I was being lifted into the cold air. I kicked my purple feet desperately, trying to get out of the grasp.

"**You have hidden long enough." **the voice was dead serious now, almost sounding enraged.

"I haven't hidden from anyone!" I responded after a pause.

But then I felt strange. I felt warm all over and a dull pain took it over quickly. The feeling was ominous and eerie, almost as if someone was twisting my insides. But just as I felt it happen, it was gone, and I fell to the ground, impacting the surface with a sharp thud. My instinct kept me on the ground, face-flat, hoping that whoever was there would leave me.

"**You know of my power, and you will understand and worship it soon, just like the demon beast that you are."**

"Demon beast? I am no demon beast!" I denied as I picked myself up.

"**Meta, you are. Rather, you will be, and you will become the greatest out of all demon beasts."**

Before I could answer, I heard someone call out to me loudly.

"_**META!!" **_

* * *

My eyes shot open instantly as I heard my name. Gasping for breath, I sat up and rubbed my eyes; it was only a terrible dream. My head was drenched in sweat, as was my pillow and sheets. I had never been this frightened of a dream before in my life.

The room was just as dark as I had left it, but out the window, I could see a light of some sort flickering brightly against the black sky. Unsure of the matter, I simply rubbed my eyes once more, thinking it was just my eyes playing tricks on me.

"Meta, please, there's something wrong!!"

A young red puffball was now grabbing at my hand desperately. I looked down at him in confusion and saw that he was shaking and crying uncontrollably; a frightening scene to be sure. Feeling pity for the little boy, I collected myself and got out of my bed.

"What's going on?" I asked tiredly. I assumed that he just had a bad dream and that his parents were being ridiculously lazy, so they sent him to me.

The boy's blue eyes glistened with hot tears, and his head fell down. I looked down at him in uncertainty; surely nothing small would make a small puffball cry. But then it hit me; an abnormal smell filled the air. It took only a moment for me to realize what it was.

It was smoke.

"M-mommy and daddy sent me here…" the boy said between sniffles. "But they…they didn't look good when they did! M-Meta, I don't know what to do…! They might be gone already!!"

"What is going on?! Tell me what is happening!" I repeated urgently, the scent of smoke getting thicker by the second.

"The-the village…" he sobbed. "It's on…it's on fire!!"

My heart raced. The village on fire? Who could have set it on fire? The weather was wet; fire could never exist in such a condition. Then I understood: Nightmare. He was the only living thing that would ever do such a demonic act without hesitation. All those years of silence and "peace" were full of planning, scheming, and plotting in his part.

The boy clung to my arms as I ran outside as fast as I possibly could. Indeed, it was true; the entire village was set ablaze with crimson red fire, illuminating the entire area. The smoke was a dense gray, and from my past lessons, I had been told that anyone could suffocate within a few minutes. I was unsure of how long or how easy it would be for survivors to escape at this point in time. I set the boy on his feet and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Run far away from here. As far and as fast as you can – just keep going." I commanded, my voice wavering with anger and terror.

"Meta…"

"Go. You don't have time for me." I snapped. The small child's eyes filled with tears as he turned and began to sprint away helplessly. My hopes were that at least he would be safe to live his life.

Now there was the matter of evacuating everyone else; something in which I did not know how to do very well. Nevertheless, I began to make my way around the place, trying to stay low on the ground, calling out to the air to see if anyone would respond. But no one answered them, and time began to run short as the large fires were dumping smoke onto the village like water.

My small lungs couldn't handle everything going on, so I covered my mouth with my stubby sapphire arms. Yelling so much took a lot of oxygen, and smoke was replacing it in the air. I needed to get out of the village before I fell over dead.

"M-Meta…!"

I turned around to see an older citizen of the village, limping towards me. His face was cringing in pain, as I ran towards him, eager that someone heard me and trusted me enough to come my way. I gave my free arm to his side, helping him walk.

"Come on, we must get out of here before we suffocate," I commanded. He refused to move from his spot, though.

"Meta, Nightmare is back…"

That harsh name echoed in my mind as I heard it. I had my suspicions, yes, but I never imagined his minions coming back so soon.

"How is it possible…" I mumbled in false disbelief, trying to talk myself out of the obvious truth before us. "Nightmare couldn't have done this—what would he want with us—" He snapped his eyes shut in agony.

"You think that some jokester did this?" he growled. His expression eased as he squeezed my arm. "There's something wrong with my foot—a piece of the rafter fell on top of me when I tried to get out of my home."

I glanced down at his red shoes, but it didn't concern me too much after hearing Nightmare's name. But judging by his painful appearance, I could easily assume that his foot was broken. He couldn't walk, let alone run, even if he wanted to.

"It's probably broken." I sighed. "This isn't good."

"I saw a demon beast go into the house across from mine. He's looking for you; you need to get yourself to safety." He changed the subject quickly. But his words that commanded me to run were foreign to me. I would never do such a selfish thing—running was for cowards, especially if it was for your own good.

"Why do they want me for?" I asked quickly.

"I'm unsure of it. Now leave me and go."

"No. I will not leave." I darted a glare at the orange puffball. "Not without you."

"Meta, it's already too late for me. Even if we escape, where will we go? This is the only civilization on this planet," he said miserably. Though I knew this to be true, I stood my ground and attempted to drag him with me out of danger. The smoke was becoming too thick for us to stay any longer.

"What's wrong with you?! You can't possibly want to just sit and die here!"

"If it will lead me to a place away from villains and malicious wizards, I will stay and depart this life." He responded, eyes full of certainty. "I beg of you to flee from here—alone. Do it for us; be the Star Warrior you are and bring an end to this villain who caused all this."

I let him sit on the ground. We both started to cough from the amount of thick black smoke that surrounded us almost as soon as he got to the ground. The air was becoming unbearably warm and thick; should I leave him, run, and be a coward, or stay and die with my people?

"Try over here."

After a short pause and a crack of wood, a low and frustrated growl responded. I shuddered.

"This guy is either sneaky or just scared. Ha! And His Darkness calls him a Star Warrior…"

I whirled around and could see silhouettes of two demon beasts, one larger and more monstrous-looking than the other, behind the smoke. I knew that if they wanted to capture me, they would kill the person next to me so they could not have any witnesses of my kidnapping. I had to flee; there was no other choice.

I looked back at the orange puffball on the ground. He was fading into death.

"I am sorry," I closed my eyes as I touched his small arm. "Please forgive me for leaving like this."

And without another thought, I quickly started off.

* * *

My heart rate was faster than ever as my feet carried me forward at a pace that was dizzying. Of course, some of it was just running itself, but the other part was pure fear; what was I to Nightmare? My hope was that I wasn't meant to be another pawn. Even if I could get out of their sight, I had nowhere to go, but I had to get away from them as soon as I could. I was clueless as to what those demon beasts' intentions were, and I had a pretty good feeling they wanted me on a platter for their master.

My sprinting led me to the same forest I had walked in earlier. Its ground was now covered with leaves that almost were invisible because of the ominous darkness. I could make out, though, that the leaves covered the roots of the towering trees, but I figured that my quick footing would prevent me from falling over them. When I looked up at the sky above me, the moon was beginning to be covered by developing clouds; a good sign of rain. Perhaps the village would be doused with water and would bring the fire to a halt.

I longed to stop and catch my breath, but I was concerned if the two minions were on my tail or not. I slowed my pace, instead, after hearing nothing behind me.

After that, I couldn't think about anything but running. Where would I go? I didn't have a clue. The older man that I left behind was right; we were stuck on this planet without help or transportation. There was a slim, slim chance I would end up lucky and they wouldn't a) chase after me, or b) not find me, give up, and leave.

I glanced behind me, but didn't stop. I heard faint laughs of evil pleasure, and I could have sworn I saw something gleam in the light. A sword, perhaps? Now there would be no way they would give up and leave at that rate. I was doomed.

Thunder echoed throughout the sky as lightning etched along dark clouds. I needed to find shelter soon, but that was the least of my worries. I could bet anyone that they were after me, and if I was even more unlucky, my smoke-dense scent could be picked out by a smell-savvy demon beast. Most likely, Nightmare sent one just for hunting purposes. My hope was that my dark blue skin would be camouflage enough and that I was far enough away from any life for me to be detected.

Something cold suddenly hit me, and my heart skipped a beat, thinking it was a weapon that made contact with me. To my luck, it was only a damp branch that had reached out and smacked my arm mysteriously. It only tripped me up a little bit. The "whooshes" of water on the trees' leaves met my ears soon after that. Swallowing, I knew that my fate would come soon; if I ran any faster, I would surely slip and fall.

Alas, my violet shoes caught on a tree's root, and my face was met with the ground. My face stung like as if I had been slapped, as was my arms. I cursed under my breath as I sat up and wiped off my face. My eyes stung with developing tears, but I wiped them away. What was I, a child? Just because my night was a living hell didn't mean I had to cry about it.

I could only hope then that bad things wouldn't get worse. Unfortunately, I heard a voice; the one that was back looking for me in the village.

"Oh, Meta, where are you?" he taunted. I could hear the smirk in his voice. I panicked slightly, but ducked under a tree's hollow opening. I shut my eyes and prayed they couldn't hear, see, or smell me.

"Come on, we know you're out here,"

My heart skipped another beat, and my breathing began to shake. I put my hands over my mouth, muffling my fearful gasps so that they wouldn't be so loud. I couldn't help but to think that these people sounded like they were more than determined to kill me.

"Hey, Meta, you little waste! If you're a Star Warrior, why don't you come out and show yourself?" he continued to try to bribe me out, but I refused to move. After a long silence, he muttered, "west. Move west. If he is not there, then we'll improvise."

I relaxed slightly, but I wasn't stupid enough to get out of my hiding spot in that instant. I gave a silent sigh and decided to make myself comfortable enough to try to think of a plan before heading back to the village. My back met the inside of the tree, and my arms went limp. I became oddly aware as to how tired I really was after running so fast so much.

That was when my eyelids dropped and my body fell limp.


	4. III

_Argh. Sorry for the late update and the long wait, guys. I (a) have school everywhere, (b) had a meltdown because my laptop crashed, and (c) caught a nasty cold. Darnit all!! _

_So I apologize for the suspense I've caused anyone...ha...writer's don't do that or anything. XD But in your favor, hey, a LONG CHAPTER. So long. So awesome. YAY! Hopefully this pleases you!!! It does for me. (Yes, by the way, the majority of these chapters are written beforehand. I got a head-start and hated how it sounded about...nehh...5 months ago? I only got to chapter 5 and I went back and edited the heck out of it. But I'm back to writing, so it's all okie-dokie.)_

_ENOUGH RAMBLING. Man. Just enjoy it, sheesh! DX_

_-Laz_

**

* * *

**

Sounds of rustling leaves met my ears as a warm breeze found me and danced across my blushing cheeks. I stirred and adjusted my position, savoring the gentleness I was being granted. My eyes slowly opened as if it were just another restful morning. I suppressed a cry as I grasped one dangerous thing:

I had fallen asleep in a most risky time.

I bolted upright, realizing that I had done the most risky thing in history of Star Warriors. Was it a trick? Did they want me to fall asleep?

I urgently examined my surroundings and only saw the inside of a tree, leaves on the ground, and mud splattered all over me. All was as I had left it, and it brought me great relief. I peered out of my hiding spot carefully. I saw no one, but just to be sure, I threw a small twig out in the open. I waited to see if it was going to be shot by an arrow or sliced in half with a sword, but nothing happened. Cautiously, I slowly got out and began to walk as silently as I could back to the village, careful to not make myself too noticeable.

I flinched every time I heard a leaf rustle or a twig snap, but all I ever saw were birds flying above. I peered up at the sky to see what time it could have possibly been. I could only see leaves and branches, though. The forest was much thicker than I thought.

Sighing, I tried to think about things other than the two hunters. My recent dream was what I came up with; the voice that was speaking to me was there for a reason, and I wanted to know why it was telling me that I was a demon beast. That desire made my stomach turn; was it true? Was I going to become the greatest demon beast out of all of them? I instantly denied my own question and decided I was talking myself into the matter.

Then, it hit me: the villagers. What happened to them all?

My pace quickened. I assumed most were dead or gone, and I was the cause of it; I did not think to tell anyone what was on my mind. I simply wanted them to be at the most peace of mind possible. Unfortunately, I led them to having no mind to be at peace with at all.

With the smell of burnt wood, I found myself standing at the opening of the village. It was painful to see all the buildings and homes black and ruined completely. At this rate, there was no possible way that there were survivors. The rain must have extinguished the fire the night before just as I wanted it to, and it was still cloudy out, but it was late morning.

My mouth hung open slightly as I recognized that the entire place was abandoned. It was likely that all the dead were burned in the fire, but I didn't smell anything peculiar or repulsing, like the smell of a burnt creature. If there were any survivors, they would have fled by now. I looked down where the man that told me to run was left. There was no trace of him—no blood, no tracks, nothing.

A few of the homes, I noticed, were still barely standing. Mine did not appear to be so lucky; it was now a pile of blackened wood and ashes. I swiftly walked over to where my demolished home was and examined the remains. Every one of my possessions had been wasted; crashed, broken, knocked over. How could two demon beasts do so much?

"Oh, what a pitiful sight,"

The voice caused me to jump; it sounded close, but I had not heard any footsteps coming. Swallowing, I cautiously turned around to face them in fear of being killed on the spot. The two demon beasts stood opposite of me, obviously proud of themselves that they had finally cornered me in. One was a large stag beetle armed two gleaming swords, and the other looked to be a normal, pale-skinned human with crimson red hair.

"It's about time we found you."

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" I demanded, still not letting my guard down. The insect stayed put, but the other one stepped forward with ease.

"Relax, you act like we're going to kill you," he said. "We won't, that is, if you cooperate. My name is Bishamon, and this is the strongest gladiator in the entire universe, Bugzzy. We were sent by our master, Nightmare, to find and bring you to him."

My eyes widened. Nightmare _was_ after me. "W-why does he want me for?"

"He never really specified," Bishamon said. "Something about a Sacred Sword…I'm unsure."

I glanced over at Bugzzy, who brandished its swords in my direction. He was obviously a blood-thirsty creature and was silently begging to at least bring slight harm to me; slight being a limb cut off. I was intimidated how Nightmare would want to send such a powerful demon beast to come after a small puffball like me.

"Are you even listening to me?" Bishamon growled, stepping one foot towards me. I snapped my attention to him instantly. The last thing I wanted to do was upset him.

"Yes…sorry…"

He resumed his previous position and crossed his arms. "Anyway, His Darkness Nightmare doesn't want us to harm you. It would be such a pity if we did, now wouldn't it? So in order to keep our heads, and yours, all we ask is that you give yourself over to us quietly."

I did not answer; my instinct had been shut off by an unknown power, or perhaps it had been torn in half. I wanted to run, but I felt as if I should have given myself over to them. I looked to my side and as far back as I could. There was a clear path to run, but the question was, was I strong enough to run fast?

"Hey. Answer me, would you?" Bishamon glared at me.

I glanced up, my topaz eyes narrowing as I schemed an escape plan. I was dark blue; a color that could blend in with anything in the wilderness that surrounded the village. If I escaped, I would have a fair chance of succeeding.

"Meta, is it? I wouldn't move if I were you…don't you dare try _anything_…" Bishamon said, reaching behind his back to obtain something. Before I found out what it was, I acted – improvised – and turned on my feet casually, and quickly bolted around my house. Bishamon fell to the ground in attempts to catch me, but to my advantage, he was too slow. Bugzzy dove for me early, but I jumped over the large stag beetle and landed with ease. I scrambled up and sprinted into the forest once more.

"Bugzzy, get up and fetch him back!!" I heard a very angry Bishamon command. My heart raced; how fast could that thing move, anyhow?

Nonetheless, I sped onward. I kept a steady pace as my feet dashed along the earth, trying not to slow down in fear of being caught, and trying not to speed up in fear of growing tired. I dared not to look behind; I could already tell I was in huge trouble as it was. I watched the ground and the air before me, trying to overcome any obstacle in my path. Branches leapt out from the trees and attempted to snatch me, but with my stubby arms, I managed to shove them back. If only I had a sword then!

I started to become aware of a buzzing sound growing louder and louder behind me. I glanced back, risking it all, and I whimpered; Bugzzy was hovering through the air, slicing every branch in his way, eyes locked on me like I was a target. I turned back and crashed into a tree harshly, pain scattering throughout my veins like electricity.

Due to my soft and squishiness, I bounced off the ground on impact and flew out of the forest, landing on my back near the outside of a still-standing home. I sat up as I rubbed my head, trying to ease the sting. To my luck, Bugzzy did not realize that I had been tossed out of his path; he was still flying forward. I didn't move as I saw Bishamon run after him as I was almost sure that he would have seen me.

I quickly squeezed myself through a window of the house and perched myself on the inside of the window sill, readying myself for a jump. The jump that I made turned into a fall to the ground, and it caused a commotion as unstable furniture snapped and shattered into pieces.

"Wait." I heard a faint call sound out. I scrambled to my feet and leaned against the wall as I tried to make myself flat as I possibly could. My breathing was terribly fast-paced; so fast, that my chest felt the sensation that it was on fire. My heart was beating a mile a minute.

After several minutes of silence, I decided to sit down and wait them out. Hopefully they would leave and let me be after…how badly did Nightmare want me, anyway? Depending on how much he desired me, they could be here for minutes to months tracking me down. I would be caught either way. …Or would I?

My thoughts trailed to how I got into this mess in the first place. What did I do wrong, or did I do anything to upset anyone? In the general sense, I was a Star Warrior, but what of my power? There was always the chance that I would be as powerful as Sir Arthur himself.

I twitched as leaves rustled outside of where I was. Slowly turning my head around, I dared not to breathe. Where were they?

Moments passed. I finally let myself relax with a silent sigh, thinking that they had left the area and I was home free. I started to slide against the wall, formulating yet another plan for escaping their reach for good.

My ears were suddenly met with a slicing noise just above my head. I threw my head back and looked up in horror, seeing the wall behind me be slowly sliced in two. I dove forward as the entire thing came crashing down, yelping out in surprise. I covered my head and snapped my eyes shut, heart pounding vigorously.

I heard evil cackling from behind me and realized my bitter fate: Bugzzy had found me. I rolled over, only to see a shining blade being brought down for me. I rolled over again and got to my feet, trying to get away as quickly as I could.

Fearing Bugzzy's power, I sprinted to the center of my village. "Help, someone!" I yelled reflexively. I knew, however, that no one would come save me, for I had killed all who would.

Suddenly, though, my arm was snatched by a tightly-gripping hand and my feet left the ground. I was dangling about over the earth, which gave me both fear and comfort. I looked up and grimaced at who my saver was.

"Don't worry," Bishamon smirked. "I will."

* * *

Pain swam through my arms as the ropes around them cut off dug into my sapphire skin. It was obvious that Holy Nightmare wanted me in one spot, but I simply had no clue as to why, nor why they wanted to maintain such a tight grip on me. It had been tens of minutes since I encountered them; several minutes since we had departed from my burnt homeland. I was tired, hungry, and in pain. The last meal I had was a small snack from yesterday, and I had forgotten that I skipped dinner.

Numbness overthrew the pain. It was now almost unbearable.

"If you please, could you loosen –" I began innocently. My right arm was tugged hard in reply.

"No."

"But –"

"If you think it's miserable now, then you have a lot headed your way. Nightmare is going to have fun with you, Star Warrior."

I fell silent as we continued walking, deeply threatened by his comment. The "fun", as I took it, was most likely getting me to swear allegiance to him. I assumed that Nightmare took pleasure in seeing people suffer, and then give themselves over to him. The day I became a Star Warrior, I vowed myself to not sell myself short and join Nightmare's army. So far, I wasn't living up to my standards.

"What is he going to do to me?" I asked, trying not to sound scared. Bishamon glanced over his shoulder, eyed me, and turned back.

"I wager…a pair of wings for speed and flight…hands, of course – you're not going to hit anyone with those stubs," Bishamon answered. "Nightmare isn't going to do anything with you. He has a special person to do that. You'll meet him soon, and judging by your stubbornness, you'll be fast friends. I wish him lots of luck in changing you. That face of yours is not even close to being a threat."

I scowled, confused. "You aren't being clear."

"Every demon beast who isn't made from scratch has to be modified, at least by their mind. You have so many disadvantages that you'll most likely get physically modified."

"W-what?!" I exclaimed. I was to be mutated – altered – why and how would that be possible? Wings and hands on a small creature like me? It would be impossible. I would certainly be killed in the process if something that violent would be done to someone my size.

"Good luck with that." I heard the smirk in his voice and I growled. His pleasure in my moment of confusion and outrage was beyond infuriating.

As silence settled in between the three of us, I couldn't help but to examine my surroundings. We, I could tell, were in the thick of the forest. There was no turning back now; even if I were to escape, I would get lost, even though I had the element of familiarity on my side. If I got loose, they would find me once more and do much worse with me.

"Nervous? Don't worry, I can tell. Everyone usually is."

I looked into my captor's blazing silver eyes, aware that he was speaking.

"You'll enjoy fighting for Nightmare. It gives you something to live for." Bishamon spoke. At this rate, he was searching for fear, but there was more anger present than fright inside me at the time.

"I'd rather be fighting for Sir Arthur. He actually cares about his soldiers." I responded cleverly. Bishamon laughed.

"Does he now? I've always heard that Arthur is nothing but a cowardly and arrogant little pest who thinks only of himself," He said. "But…perhaps you have met him? Then you might be right, but if you haven't…"

I frowned, recognizing that I haven't seen nor met Arthur before. It would be foolish of me to admit that then. "…Have you?"

"Of course I've seen him. You actually remind me of Arthur quite easily; resistant, headstrong, audacious. He certainly gives us a lot of trouble a lot of the time," Bishamon said. His eyes suddenly flared a dangerous red. "Nightmare has always detested his existence. He isn't meant to be alive."

"You obviously have it backwards," I scoffed, "it's Nightmare that isn't meant to be alive. He's killing innocent people, including those you have."

"It's called 'war'."

"It's called 'murder', and Arthur's trying to stop it!"

"Enough!" Bishamon's voice was intense with rage now. "If you feel so strongly about it, bring it up with Nightmare. He'd be happy to have such a debate with you."

My instinct was to keep at my argument, but I resisted the urge and decided not to say anymore. The angst soon died down as we cleared the forest and entered a plain that I had never set foot on before.

In the midst of that plain, a large spacecraft came into sight. It was surrounded with many guards and soldiers; trying to escape would only lead to death. What waited for me there was a mystery, but I knew that when I did get on board, my life wouldn't be the same unless I acted with all the strength I had. Strength, in which, I did not have a lot of. I had been running for twelve hours without water or food, and my body was anything but happy with me.

Silence was ominously drifting around us as we approached the aircraft. Though it did not scream the stereotypical "Holy Nightmare Co.", I could easily tell by the charcoal gray color that it was meant to carry an air of fear and danger to anyone who fell witness to it. I had to admit that it posed a threat to me personally. The idea that Nightmare would send this big of a ship to come get a simple puffball like me was alarming; I was capable of something, I understood then.

I was forced to quicken my pace as I was nearly dragged by the ropes that were tied to me. Both the demon beasts apparently were overjoyed to see that they were close to returning to their base. As we approached the ship Bishamon and Bugzzy stopped to discuss something with one of the officers next to the entrance. Their bonds still remained on my arms, and I had no choice but to stay in one place.

I gazed up at the craft, daunted by how large it was. It would be easy to get yourself lost inside, I thought. What was in there that required so much space?

My arms received small tugs and rough scratches, but when I looked down, the ropes were off. My spirits lifted; perhaps they did not need me after all. I turned and took a half a step before two heavily-armored soldiers grabbed my sore arms and dragged me up the ramp.

"See you on the battlefield," I heard Bishamon laugh.


	5. IV

_Ah, here we are! I've been meaning to post forever, and since I have nothing to do, I minus well do it, huh? ;) _

_Sorry it's a bit short, but it does have some quick-paced action in the middle to the end. And cliffhangers? Oh yes. Just like you know me! _

_Here's where it gets interesting, guys. And Nightmare's minion? Yeeeah, some of you should know who he is. His character might be totally wrong, but argh, I did my best! And what happens next? A LOT. But Meta's not aware of it. That's all I'll say! Wahahahahaha!!!_

_Hope you like it..._

_-Laz_

* * *

The inside was dark, eerie, and freezing. My whole body, I noticed, was shaking with both fear and cold. What a true horror this was, I thought as I shut my eyes in disbelief. These would be my last moments as a free Star Warrior. The fact only became more prominent as we approached a small metal door guarded by two more soldiers.

The small door opened as if on cue for me, but just as I lifted my foot to walk in, I was merely thrown inside the room like a worthless rag doll. I hit the icy floor with a dull smack as the door promptly slammed shut behind me. I sat up, recognizing that my chance to run and leave was completely terminated. I was stuck in a tiny room without a weapon or practically any defense with no one to assure or help me.

"So glad you could make it."

I turned myself around, startled by the voice. There were quite a lot of people with me, to my surprise. Though they were lined up in a military-fashion, they looked anything but stern and serious; all of their eyes were full of fear and confusion, just as mine were. I frowned, fearing that these various creatures had to go through the same thing I did. Nightmare was truly a monster.

I noticed that the taunting voice did not come from any of the captives; it was a very short, lavender-skinned human. His orange glasses reflected what dull light there was into the room, and his dark purple hair shone a subtle green in the light. Despite his ironic and odd appearance, I could tell he had the authority that people strictly obeyed without question.

"I-I demand answers…" I started, my throat turning dry. The human simply chuckled and adjusted his glasses.

"You must be Meta. His Darkness has been raving about you."

I swallowed as that reference to Nightmare speaking of me met my ears. "What is your name – who are you?"

"Sorry; strict policy. You won't remember it soon, anyway," he replied. "Get in line, but do try to make yourself at home, Meta. I am certain that Nightmare will favor you for being so obedient to him."

I looked down at the floor as I got to my feet. So many of these demon beasts thought I'd get on my hands and knees and beg to be Nightmare's prized pawn. My hopes were that if they took drastic measures, I would be as strong as Sir Arthur and would stand my ground.

"Get into line, Meta." the human repeated tensely. I looked up at him, narrowing my golden eyes. I had no intention of following his rules, nor his commands. It would be good practice, I planned, for me to disobey a person in Holy Nightmare Co. that was lower than Nightmare himself. From there, I would build my way up.

Suddenly, though, I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach that lasted only a few seconds; the ship was taking off. The idea of not returning to my home and leaving everything behind that I knew and loved caused only more anger inside me.

"Get into line. Now."

I took in a gulp of air and swallowed. My instinct completely took over, and I unconsciously growled:

"**No.**"

The human was enraged now as he walked to a small black speaker mounted on the wall of the room. He pressed a small button and spoke into it.

"Security on alert; slight resistance in sector A-24."

My breathing was shaky now as I heard such a strong word being used, but my feet remained glued to the ground. I simply glared at the human that was stepping away from the speaker. He crossed his arms, eying me for any sign of reaction. Soon, a small creature threw up his arms.

"Please, Star Warrior, do what he says! They will kill you if he sends for them!"

I was taken aback at his out-of-turn actions, but Nightmare's minion didn't seem to react, except for a satisfied grin. I couldn't deny his words, but if I did resist, I could die being an inspiration to the poor souls who were caught then. I wouldn't have to live with the burden of serving Holy Nightmare; I would live with my parents and see them once more in heaven.

"He is right, you know. If you die, we can take you to Nightmare and he'll gladly revive you…" he nodded. "…and change your mindset while you're there."

Unfortunately, that comment changed everything. If I did die, I wouldn't be dead for long, and I would have no say or plea in the matter. I cursed in my head. Sir Arthur always said that he would rather burn in hell than serve Nightmare. Knowing that, he most likely said it without knowing that Nightmare could easily revive you.

I gave an aggravated sigh and dragged myself into line. No matter how much I hated to admit defeat, it would earn me an extra chance at getting myself out of the situation I was caught in. The human took pleasure in my decision and displayed it arrogantly. I scowled and looked away, regretful of my decision.

"Now then, as I was saying…"

I took a glance down the line to my right and saw some gazing at me like I was insane. My eyes shifted down to the floor in shame; if only I could talk to them – if only I could explain myself or come up with a plan to get us all out of this crazy mess.

I suddenly noticed the human standing directly in front of me, continuing his monologue.

"You are all here because you are either Star Warriors or simply very useful in Nightmare's conquest for the universe. Power is something we need, and your _**volunteered assistance**_ will help us greatly. There isn't much you can do now, considering your numerous…drawbacks."

He looked me over. I glowered at him, irritated at how many people had been pointing out my so-called weaknesses.

"Nevertheless, there is a way, despite your conditions, species, or origins."

My stomach began to feel ill. Sure, I was basically called a pawn then and there for the most evil villain in the universe, but it was something more. The ship's takeoff was beginning to make me slightly motion-sick, and not eating anything that morning didn't help. I found a great need to at least sit down and rest, but I knew the consequences if I did that.

"We are far away from the Holy Nightmare Corporation, but we have all decided to harness some of Nightmare's power into this ship. All of you will be altered to suit Nightmare's standards and become his faithful minions," he went on. I was surprised I could focus in so clearly on his words when my stomach was doing gymnastics, "body, mind, and soul. You will not remember a thing about your past—you will only know of how much you wish to please your master.

"So, the only thing we ask of you is to cooperate. We will use force if we must, but if you simply do as you are told, nothing will go wrong." he continued. "Resistance is futile at this point; there's no going back to your weak planets now."

My thoughts went from my stomach's sickness to my warrior instincts. What was I waiting for? My hands were free, there were no guards, and everyone was unsuspecting. If I simply grab held of the minion, everyone could make a run for it, or possibly even help me fight.

Or would it be risky?

Those words were lost in the blur of my instinctive mind. I simply lost control of my reserved, normal state and lunged forward at Nightmare's minion, shoving him into a wall behind us. I grabbed his arm with one of mine and drew back my foot to kick him, but he kicked me first. I landed on the cold floor and stayed there for only a second to grasp what had happened.

Then I understood: I was irrational.

However, I wouldn't admit it. I jumped up quickly and decided to face my fate. This time, I would not run; I would fight.

I sprinted, planning to slide on my feet and catch him off balance. I crouched down and outstretched my feet, finding unknown strength, and waited for impact. The human simply grabbed my head and tossed me across the room. I hit a wall and bounced onto the floor.

My head ached, pleading for me to stop, but I simply got to my feet. Fleeing was not an option, I reminded myself.

Diving for the human, I readied my arms to punch fast and hard, but he slapped me backwards before I could even make impact with his torso. I fell onto my back. My eyes were becoming hard to keep open; my head was throbbing now. I couldn't take much more, but I kept at it.

I ran for the demon, but he stepped out of the way and snatched my arm and threw me down on the floor, hard. The impact stung massively, and my sick stomach came back to make it worse. My breathing became labored; I couldn't stand it anymore. It hadn't been but a minute since I went at him, and I was already down! My body was too small and too fragile to make even a hit on my enemy. From that moment, I knew that I made a huge mistake by even being born in the first place.

No, I thought. What about Sir Arthur? What would he do?

I coughed as I tried to catch my breath and attempted to slowly rise to my feet. I couldn't lift myself off the floor without collapsing once more.

"What's a Star Warrior if he can't even hit?"

I swallowed, letting my eyes snap shut and my fists clench in agony. It was nearing the end for me, I confessed to myself as I heard the door open behind me. Guards were approaching; it was my last chance to escape slowly but steadily.

I dared to try once more.

I conjured up all the small strength I had and cautiously got up, facing the two approaching soldiers. My head was throbbing, my vision was blurred, and I felt dizzy, but I took a step forward nonetheless. They withdrew their swords, somehow seeing me as a threat. I was aware that I was caught dead before the fight even started, but there was always the option of running.

The moment my other foot left the ground, I was aware that the back of my head was full of blinding pain that echoed throughout my entire body. I fell onto the floor, allowing my eyelids to fall. All my senses were blindingly perceptive, picking up every noise, feeling every small pinch of a nerve. I couldn't bear to be awake any longer.

"Just as I thought," the demon snickered, "you will be fun for Nightmare to handle."

My world was replaced with silent, ghostly darkness.


	6. V

_Hello, all!_

_School has been horrible for me lately. I missed half a day of school yesterday, so I've been working on the things I missed, and then I have to leave on Friday, so I have to do work for then and--GAH. It's insane around here. My brain is as scrambled as can be! _

_But! That doesn't mean that you'll miss out on ANYTHING in this chapter. 5,221 words. Wowie! I couldn't stop writing, apparently! XD So this one's long, but it has a lot of important details that are, well, important. The two demon beasts' roles will be revealed later in the story when a certain half-dimented villain steps into the picture. But all in all, if you don't get something, just send me a little note and I'll do my best to explain without using excessive spoilers. ;) Thanks!_

_So without furthur adieu, please enjoy a very long and semi-depressing chapter of Hoshi no Senshi! _

_-Laz_

* * *

"He's a failure; we can't let Nightmare know about him."

I stirred as a low voice spoke in the distance. Every nerve in my body was throbbing in pain, and no matter how much I adjusted my position, I couldn't escape it. Not only that, but something was holding my arms and feet together. My chest ached as my heart had to work at beating properly; it was painfully slower than usual. As I grasped control of my body, my heart began to resume. I felt cold. Was I dying?

It was best, I thought, to find help. I opened one of my eyes cautiously, and then both. I almost cried out, for they burned like fire, and my vision was unexplainably blurry. I could barely pick out something tied around my arms. A rope, maybe? After a moment or two, I realized that they were longer than I remembered them to be. At the ends, I saw something white…

Gloves?! Did I have…hands?!

"But Nightmare knows, doesn't he? He's expecting him within an hour…both are!"

There were the voices again. My head was clearing up. I strained to see where they were coming from: a door several meters from where I was. Two demon beasts were standing, their backs to me, clearly convinced that I wouldn't be much of a threat to them any longer.

But that name – Nightmare – who was he again? The name was so vaguely familiar…and what did they mean by "both"?

"Well, he's probably dead. He put up quite a fight when they started, I heard. Plus, his mind wasn't as malleable as I expected. Something was binding him to staying a Star Warrior."

Then all those memories came catapulting back. Running away, the fight, being captured. I was knocked out when I fought that human, and now I was stuck here. I must have still been on the ship I was brought to earlier on.

"Should we just tell Nightmare and Ebisu that, then?"

"Nightmare won't be happy about it; he needs a new knight."

"Neither will Ebisu. Nevertheless, he's beyond repair. I mean, he just can't pose a threat to anyone with that face of his…"

I sighed in my mind; at least they didn't change me completely. I was still my own self, and I was still thinking free thoughts. Though I may have been out for several hours, and they did manage to mutate me, I wasn't committed to Nightmare. I could still remember my parents' death, being treated like a hero all the time, being captured, and where I was from…

No, wait – where _**was**_ I from? What planet was that called? What were my parents' names? I cursed in my head. They had tried to take something away from me and got away with it.

Footsteps began to grow louder; the demon beasts were coming towards me. I let myself fall limp as well as I could and shut my eyes. It was best to play dead in the situation rather than risk getting dragged away to another eerie place.

"We might as well just send him to that barren planet down there."

"What about Nightmare?"

Then it hit me: Nightmare was the evil wizard who wanted universal conquest. He wanted me for…what again? I couldn't recall that small of a detail. I _was_ losing my mind – oh, how foolish of me to forget all the important things!

"Good plan."

My sore wrists and feet were snatched up, and I soared through the air and hit a metal wall with a smack. I heard a sharp hiss, and then a clash of metal. I opened my eyes and saw that I was in a very tiny room. A small twinge of pain covered me slowly as I was trying to regain myself from the impact. I longed to see out the window that was just above me, but my position made me feel like a turtle on its shell. I couldn't move one bit.

Then, I felt a huge drop, and then, nothing.

"What was…?" I muttered aloud, startling myself with my own voice. It was then that I could start to see something above my head; a night sky. It was a night sky full of several more stars than I remembered it to be. But they were moving so very quickly.

Faster and faster they rushed until they looked like white lines sketched across the black sky. The temperature was growing quite warm; was I delusional, or was this real?

A single siren was brought to my attention. Its loud screech was more than annoying and made my head throb, but I took one thing from it: whatever I was in was sensing something that posed a threat. If I was in space, and it was hot…I would be approaching a planet.

The entire craft shook violently as I impacted land. I was somersaulting all around in that small, cramped space, only hoping that I wouldn't break anything in my body that wasn't already broken. So far, being a fearless Star Warrior that I wanted to be was not working out too well.

What seemed like hours of being tossed around everywhere, the ship came to a slow stop. I opened one of my eyes, despite the sting that wanted to keep them shut. Everything was jarred, broken, and torn. My right foot was in excruciating pain, and I could not move it in the slightest bit. I was helpless. I looked up at the window at the top and tried to get up, only to find that my feet refused to move. Claustrophobia was beginning to do its works on me; I had to get out before I suffocated.

"HELP!!" I screamed. My loud voice nearly shattered my eardrums as the sound circulated throughout the tiny space. There was silence in reply. My eyes stung with innocent tears. Would there be no one to save me? Was this how it would end?

"_It wouldn't end like this for a Star Warrior."_ A voice encouraged me. It sounded strangely familiar, but it was not Nightmare who spoke this time. It was warm and friendly. Who it was puzzled me, but it was right – a Star Warrior would never give in.

I tried to get my hands untied, but failed. I attempted once more to get myself up and out of the ship, but it was completely useless. I couldn't feel anything past my ankles. What a rut I was in; no one was out to help me, and I was stuck underneath metal with bonds tied around my hands and feet.

Three knocks sounded out above me. I looked up and tried to pound on the metal below me with both my fists, but a muffled thump only came back.

"Please, help me!! I'm a Star Warrior!!" I hoped whoever was out there would buy it, remembering how abundant the paranoia of war was these days. "I'm injured, and I need to get out of here!"

A tip of a blade shot down from the ceiling and shone in my face, and it dropped down in an instant. I didn't dare breath as it cut down the side, thinking how horrid it would have been if it were any closer to me. Cold air rushed all over me and I coughed by how oxygen-rich the air was.

"Whoa, are you alright?" a male asked from above me. I opened my painful eyes and saw a young man about my age with golden hair. As he pulled his mask off, I could see his skin was a fair maroon color, and a necklace matched the shield over his shoulder. A pale green cloak was draped over his frame delicately.

I was, at first, intimidated by his shining silver sword in his hands. But his soft brown eyes showed a certain mildness that I simply had to trust.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you," he smiled. "Let me get you out of there."

The man sheathed his sword and pulled back some of the metal that was holding me down. My right foot was set free, but it still hurt with the same intensity. I could feel the young man's eyes look over me with uncertainty. I cringed.

"Please, sir, I won't harm you. I don't have a weapon –"

"Of course you don't; I don't see a scabbard."

Before I could question what a scabbard was, he leaned down to my level and took my wrists. His sword's blade was lifted between my arms, and in one swift movement, the ropes were cut, freeing my hands. I cradled them as their soreness returned to me.

"I won't harm you, either." he smiled genuinely. I looked up at him, still not daring to move. "My name is Sir Jecra, a knight of the Galaxy Soldier Army. I'm a Star Warrior as well. What is your name?"

For a moment, I could barely recall what my name was. "M-Meta…" I swallowed. Jecra leaned over behind me and cut the ropes that bound my feet together.

"It's nice to meet you, Meta. Glad I was out scouting this area; any later and you would've been stuck in there for hours." Jecra said. "You don't look so good; your foot looks like it's been cut clean through." My body once again remembered how pain surrounded every inch of me, and my back began to ache sharply.

"It is?" I replied, awestruck. Jecra helped me up to my feet.

"Just keep it off the ground and you'll be okay."

"I apologize for the trouble, Jecra." I said as he took one of my hands and put his other hand on the center of my back. It felt as if a thousand knives stabbed me all at once. My entire body recoiled.

"Oh, sorry!!" Jecra gasped. I stumbled slightly out of suffering, but the Star Warrior nabbed me by my other hand. "We should probably go to the infirmary. My friend can help you, and maybe we can figure out where you came from after we get you fixed up."

I tried to walk, but Jecra did most of the work as my left foot refused to cooperate.

"What's wrong with my back? It feels horrible." I asked out of curiosity. Jecra remained silent.

"I'm not sure, Meta. I'm not a medical-kind of person." he forced a smile. I felt uneasy at his attempt of comforting me. "You're hurt pretty badly. It's best you don't waste your breath asking silly questions that my friend can answer."

I looked at him with troubled eyes. Jecra didn't make eye contact with me after that. Was he suspecting something that I didn't know about?

* * *

Jecra and I walked for what seemed like hours. He explained that the small ship had landed in a forest, and we had to navigate out of it first; something in which did not take much time with the warrior next to me. Jecra seemed to know his way around extremely well, and I was incredibly lucky to have a trustworthy guide.

My vision started to look like my eyes were filled to the brim with tears. It concerned me for two reasons: I did not know where this infirmary was or how long we were going to be, and I did not know why my eyes weren't working properly. I could see green grass and brown tree trunks, but no details. With every blink, they hurt.

Finally, I got the courage up to speak.

"…Jecra?"

"Yeah?"

"How much longer?" I asked after hesitation. Jecra smiled.

"We're already here."

I tried my hardest to see what we were standing in front of, but I realized that it was a tent. A tent as an infirmary, I thought. Was this the middle ages?

Jecra ushered me inside, still hanging onto one of my arms. I kept my head low, eyes glued to the ground as we walked deeper inside; I had always hated going near sharp things, let alone medical equipment. It made me wonder how anyone could stand doing work around such things for a day.

"Garlude, we have a visitor," Jecra called out. I lifted my free arm to rub my eyes so I could if someone was approaching, but instead, a light and warm voice answered Jecra's call.

"Did you check with Sir – oh…"

I expected her to distance herself from me and complete her thought, but instead, she scurried over close to me. She leaned down to my level. I brought my head up slowly, taking in her almost-clear face. Her eyes were a sweet red, and her skin and hair were lavender; everything was delicately contrasting her bright blue gown that went to her ankles. Her concerned look only softened into a friendly one as we made eye-contact.

"Meta, this is Garlude. Garlude, this is Meta." Jecra held his free hand out to Garlude. She smiled brightly.

"It's very nice to meet you, Meta. I'm the nurse here, if you couldn't tell already." Garlude said. I did my best to give her a comforting smile back through the unbearable pain I was in then.

"Likewise, Garlude," I said, "I apologize for coming in so quickly; it's hard to explain…"

"Then you probably shouldn't. Not yet, at least." she said as she took hold of my other arm with a surprisingly firm grip. Garlude and Jecra lifted me onto a small bed, and I cringed as it touched my back. Whatever was attached to my back was severely sensitive to any sort of touch. But just what was it?

"Are you alright?" Garlude asked, putting her hand over my forehead. I assumed she was checking my temperature – the least of my worries then.

"My back…" I swallowed my torturing pain. "Jecra never did tell me what was wrong with it."

Garlude sat me up, narrowing her eyes at Jecra. He smirked awkwardly. Garlude's gloved hand reached up to lightly touch whatever was on me. I winced only a little bit out of the slight pain that centered on the point that she contacted. Her face turned curious.

"Meta…" she said after hesitation. "How long have you had wings?"

I froze.

"W-what are you talking about??" I stammered, struggling to see my back. "I-I don't have wings…"

I felt Garlude touch something behind me; she delicately pulled forward a dark amethyst bat wing. It was so lightweight, but so dense and evil-looking; I almost fainted at the sight. What did Nightmare think I would need with wings?

"I'm sorry, Meta."

"I just had no idea…" I trailed off, starting to feel warm out of concern. I saw Jecra walk over back behind a curtain, but Garlude blocked my sight to look me in the eyes. I felt uneasy; I could easily tell she was scanning me for other visible problems.

"Anything else?"

My naturally flushed cheeks turned a bright shade of fuchsia. My stomach felt fine then, but I had never been this close to a female in my life.

"My eyes…" was all I managed to say. Her lips curved into a frown.

"You look a little like you're in pain," Garlude said. "You're blinking an awful lot. Is that normal?"

"They've been hurting ever since I woke up, and everything is blurry." I looked away for a moment, but looked back at her as I tried to be a good patient. Jecra came back with a clear bag full of ice and stood behind me.

"This might hurt a little,"

At first as I felt the ice touch, it hurt so much, I actually flinched violently, but then coldness took over. It sent shivers down my spine, literally. My entire body relaxed as the sensation became just a dull ache.

"I knew you weren't accustomed to them yet because they were unfolded when I found you. I didn't want to shock you too much by telling you they were there," Jecra admitted, "so I let it slide. Sorry if that only made it worse."

"No, no…" I clenched fists to make myself concentrate on something else other than my torturing wings. "That's fine. Really…it would have freaked me out too much back there; more than I just did…"

Garlude put her hand on mine to get my attention.

"Watch my finger without moving your head," she ordered. I did as I was instructed; I followed her finger move up, down, left, and right in various patterns for about a minute. It was something that was absolutely uneventful and dull as it trailed on and on. I began to feel tension as I felt Jecra's eyes glued on me. What was he looking at me for? Couldn't he look at something else?

I noticed a small sting mid-way through Garlude's little game grow in my eyes. My eyes watered and I had no choice but to blink. As soon as I opened my eyes, the entire room was a complete blur. I was distracted – I started to look off around the room, trying to understand why it looked this way now. But then I remembered: Garlude. I searched for her finger, but couldn't even make it out.

I lifted my hand and felt in front of me as if I were blind. I was desperate to show to Garlude and Jecra that I really was trying, but I was still failing. My hand latched onto an arm and I felt it pull back until I found a hand.

"Garlude," I finally said, "I can't…I can't see…"

"You can't see? At all? Is it just black or…" Her voice was intense with apprehension as her hand touched my cheek carefully. Jecra's footsteps filled my ears as I could vaguely see his figure move to the foot of the bed.

"N-no, it's just blurry." I answered, rubbing my eyes. They hurt so much now. "What do they look like? Are they red or something?"

"They're yellow." Garlude said simply, unsure of the question. It reassured me that Nightmare's minions left my eyes out of the process, but I still did not understand why they hurt. "…All yellow…"

I was shocked. "'All yellow'?!" I exclaimed. "My irises are topaz, sure, but they're not completely yellow!"

"Both your eyes are entirely yellow." Jecra quietly told me, handing me a small mirror. The picture I saw was supernatural: my entire eyes were yellow, and against my sapphire face, I looked as if I were a child of a villain, evilly innocent. I touched my face, hoping it was all a dream, but the sight and feelings remained. It was real.

"Oh…" I breathed, feeling an odd sensation run through my eyes.

I blinked, and looked at myself again. They were now green. The mirror nearly slipped out of my hand as I yelped out in surprise; the moment was simply getting weirder by the second. Jecra and Garlude simply stared at me, and I at them, hoping they would give me an explanation for what was going on.

"What…what the hell?! Garlude, what's wrong with him?!" Jecra snapped his fingers in front of my face, testing to see if I could see them. I swatted his hand out of my face.

"I can see you just fine! Quit!" I demanded, lashing out in both distress and anger. Jecra jumped backwards, an expression of fear set on his face. I frowned as the thought of me hurting him went through my head, and I lifted the mirror to see if my green eyes had reverted back to their original yellow. Instead, they were a bright crimson red.

"What's happening to me?!" I shouted, dropping the mirror and snapping my eyes shut. "My eye color is changing every five seconds now! Tell me what's going on this instant!!"

Garlude placed her hands on mine. I turned to her, scowling and blaming all the happenings on her and Jecra, and craving to go home where things were normal and at peace. But in her face, she showed assertion and calmness. She said nothing, and did not move, but kept her hands strong and stubborn. I finally understood that Garlude was waiting for me to calm down.

And eventually, I did. She lifted her hands off of mine and picked up the mirror and showed it to me, smiling. My eyes were golden once more, and they never looked so normal before in such a small time.

"Your eye color changes depending on the mood you're in. Green must be captivated in thought, and red is anger." Garlude explained. Jecra looked at her doubtfully. "One of Noisurat's books said that some creatures' eye color changes when their moods change. I can't guarantee you that it's the right answer, but perhaps you can use it as a springboard to figure out why your eye color really changes."

I took a deep breath. "My eyes feel better now, too. Thank you…" I said, down to my regular volume. She smiled.

Jecra moved Garlude to the side and he bent down to my level. "I wonder…" he started, but never finished. I froze, not understanding why or what he was looking for.

I remained silent, though in result of my vision beginning to clear up suddenly. Jecra stood back up and crossed his arms. A smirk was visible on his face now, and I almost felt anger burn inside of me; he knew something I did not.

"Arthur. He's just like Arthur."

I gasped at the name. Arthur must have been Sir Arthur, the leader of the Galaxy Soldier Army! I repeated Arthur's name aloud with unimaginable joy in my voice. I was ecstatic then; if he were here, there had to be hope for me somewhere. I looked eagerly at Garlude and Jecra, both returning the grins, except they appeared more forced than mine. My smile faded, as did theirs.

"…What's wrong with being like Sir Arthur?" I asked cautiously. "Isn't he the greatest Star Warrior in existence?" Jecra walked around to my bedside and took a seat on the edge. I could tell he was searching for the right words. Finally, after a long silence between the three of us, the warrior spoke.

"Arthur is…complicated. He was born and raised just like all of us here, except when he was about your age, he was captured during an attack. The attack was led by an evil wizard named Nightmare…I'm assuming you've heard of him," I nodded, unsure of what it was leading to, "but they wanted to keep him, saying he was special. He was needed for an important part in Nightmare's army. But his body lacked the things that Nightmare needed in order for him to fulfill what he wanted. So they altered him and changed him into a demon beast.

"The only problem was that Arthur's strong goodwill and desire of freedom made him resist the full 'package' of being a demon beast. His mind didn't give into serving Nightmare, unlike all of his other minions he captured or created. It upset Nightmare beyond belief, but before he could do anything about it, Arthur managed to gather he and his friends together and escape Nightmare's fortress. It was an unimaginable embarrassment to everyone affiliated with Nightmare. Within a year, Arthur had founded the Galaxy Soldier Army and started battling Nightmare and his demon beasts."

I fidgeted with the thin white sheets on the bed, trying to soak in all the information that Jecra gave me. I wasn't sure of what to think of Arthur now; though he remained remarkable to me, there were many things that went wrong in his life – much more than what I expected.

"So…he's a demon beast…?" I asked.

"Sort of." Garlude replied.

"And you're saying that I'm like him? A partial demon beast?" I questioned, almost sounding accusatory of Jecra's comment. He shook his head quickly; I could tell he found the accusation in my voice.

"No, no! I meant that you reminded me of him. Your arms and hands, your size…that sort of thing. I didn't mean to say that you were…" Jecra trailed off, obviously lacking the words he was looking for. My thoughts were concentrated on Arthur's past. I had no clue of such a past that was so similar to my own.

So similar…

Maybe it was too alike; if he was considered a partial demon beast, and he was stolen by Nightmare like I was, did that mean I was a demon beast like he was? The wings, the hands, and my eyes all explained it clearly. And if I were a demon beast, even a partial one, would I still be accepted into Arthur's prestigious army? It would be hypocritical if he did not let me in, I thought, trying to reassure myself. But with the modern threat that Nightmare's creatures posed, perhaps a person who has even seen Nightmare would be rejected. But maybe not. After all, it was a war; a war that Star Warriors wanted – needed to win.

And I was a Star Warrior.

"Meta?" Garlude asked suddenly, taking me back to reality.

I had to ask then, to be sure, before my heart was set on contacting Arthur. It was better to ask the two who rescued me and warning me ahead of time instead of finding out later and being disappointed.

"If I'm like Arthur, would I still be accepted into the army?" I asked. Both exchanged uneasy glances.

"Depends on where you came from and how you got in contact with Nightmare," Jecra answered, "exactly."

I swallowed. My mind was still wrapped around everything that was odd and out of the ordinary to me. Nightmare's demon beasts wanted to change me so much, after all; they must have been really eager for my addition to their army.

"I just came from a planet that had others like me on it, just not Star Warriors. My parents were killed several years ago, leaving me to fend for myself," I explained quickly, "but last night, two demon beasts attacked where I lived and I couldn't get away. I was brought onto a huge ship, knocked out, and then I found myself here."

"Captured. So you _are_ like Arthur." Garlude concluded.

"Nightmare's minions must have mutated you when you were knocked out," Jecra mumbled angrily. "He takes people that have been living with hatred for a long time and alters them to make them part of his army. Sometimes he finds Star Warriors that are too weak yet to fight and does the same thing to them. You must have been one of the weaker ones."

"I can't fight." I admitted, staring down at the sheets covering the bed.

"Are you a Star Warrior, Meta? I heard you scream something sounding like that when I came to rescue you." Jecra couldn't help but to smile; he must have thought I was hysterical then. I flashed a proud grin in his direction.

"Yes, I am."

Garlude and Jecra beamed. Seeing them both happy caused a burst of joy to erupt inside of me as well; it was the first time that good news had reached them.

"I'm not a full-fledged Star Warrior…I mean, I still need a few more years and then I'll be ready to join the Galaxy Soldier Army…" I trailed off. Jecra and Garlude stared at me, their joyous faces now perplexed.

"'In a few years'?" Jecra repeated, surprised I had said such a thing. "You're ready now."

"Now?!" I exclaimed. "I'm only seventeen; I thought I couldn't start training to fight until I was twenty or above."

Both Jecra and Garlude suppressed laughter.

"That's a lie that people tell to keep from warriors starting too early in battle and possibly getting injured," Garlude smiled. "There's nothing wrong with starting your training now—if you overcame Nightmare's goons, you'll overcome anything."

I narrowed my eyes in doubt. "Not in this condition, I won't."

Garlude placed her hand on my shoulder and leaned over me to take a look at my wings. I sat in silence as she and Jecra peered over my shoulders curiously. I could barely see her hold back a grimace; it must have been horrid to look at.

"Is it that bad?" I asked guiltily. I didn't want to make someone feel uncomfortable just because of me.

"You'll have to stay here and heal for at least three days, maybe."

Both my stomach and heart sank. _Three_ days of staying in an infirmary with two strange people on a strange planet all because of a stupid mistake I made? How awful…

"After that, though, I'll help you out." Jecra added. I paused; why was he of all people going to help me to fight off demon beasts?

"I don't understand." I replied bluntly, giving Jecra an odd look. "Why you?"

Jecra shook his head. "Arthur entrusts me with all the newcomers that can't even hold up a sword. In no time I make them powerful, skilled warriors. And, as an added bonus, I'm a Star Warrior – just like you."

It took only seconds for me to absorb that last statement, but when it hit me, my spirits lifted from the depths to the heavens. The Galaxy Soldier Army was here! How lucky could I be to land here of all times? I was going to meet my dreams of becoming a warrior a few years before I planned it.

"Y-you're joking, right?!" I laughed. "Are you telling me that the Galaxy Soldier Army is here? Right now?"

The two nodded proudly. I beamed.

"Oh, wow…"

"Glad to see something's made you happy today, Meta." Garlude winked. "The only thing standing in your way to go and fight is your injuries. I'll do my best to help heal you as fast as possible. It'll be hard and long, but I promise, you'll feel so much better when we're done."

I simply nodded, still overwhelmed with relief that I was in good, trustworthy hands. I couldn't believe the luck I had after all the horrible things happening to me; if I was released in an hour sooner or later, I might have been dead at this point. After all, I could take a little pain over serving Nightmare for the rest of my life. Perhaps Nightmare gave me more strength to conjure up, too.

And I couldn't help to smile at the thought of Holy Nightmare becoming frantic now that I was gone from their sight.


	7. VI

_Hey, all! Sorry again for the long update. School bites. DX _

_But! Spring Break is here for me! Yay! This means I'll be writing a WHOLE LOT for the next week. I can't say the same for the upcoming weeks, but that's a different story, yes? ;) Please enjoy! I leave a nice cliffhanger at the end. _

_-Laz_

* * *

The two did not waste another second in starting on healing me; it was assuring that they were eager for a still-stranger to get active again. But I couldn't stand it as Jecra removed the ice pack from my back and helped flip me over onto my stomach. The warm, humid air that clashed with my wings felt like tiny needles poking me continuously; I finally couldn't take it anymore and let out a small whimper of agony. I felt Garlude touch me on the arm gently.

"Are you alright?"

"N-no…"

"Sorry," Garlude sighed, "it'll stop after a while."

I slowly let my tense body relax slightly. I realized that if Nightmare had intentions in using me in his army as soon as he could, the pain wasn't supposed to be there. Yet another reason, I thought, for me to be a called a failure.

I dug my head into the white pillow, making fists with my hands as I grew frustrated by the horrid name. The only good thing was that the Galaxy Soldier Army was there. I was saved and would be protected from Nightmare's attacks, and all I would have to do after that was fight.

"Your eyes just have to heal on their own, and your hands look fine to me," Garlude announced optimistically. "So, all we pretty much have to do is focus all our time on your wings."

I groaned softly as the subject of my worst pain lingered about us. The thought of all the possible ways to make them stop throbbing was dizzying and almost frightening. There had to be more pain before it went away. Out of the corner of my eye, I could vaguely see Jecra taking a deep breath and looking down at me. I frowned; what was so wrong?

Then it hit me; a very sharp pain right where my back and wings met made itself noticeable, to say the least. I knew what it was and it made my stomach turn; a shot. I was overjoyed that I couldn't see what was happening, but at the same time, it only made me feel completely insecure.

"Thanks for telling me," I swallowed, feeling that thin needle pull out of my wings.

"Sorry. I usually don't tell so I won't scare someone." I could hear the pitiful frown in her voice. "It'll feel kind of weird for a while; it's just helping the pain die down for a few hours so you won't be as uncomfortable."

My wings started to feel as light as air, or more accurately, they felt like air. In fact, I couldn't feel them at all; there was only a small tingling sensation overtaking them. I could barely concentrate on anything else but the odd sensation that was slowly starting to branch out over the ache.

"That's…strange." I blinked as I tried to ease into the feeling.

"The phrase of the day, I'm sure." Garlude smiled. I could tell that she had done this so many times it was like old hat to her. I couldn't imagine how it would be to care for people who were injured, sick, or dying.

"So, you're a Star Warrior," Jecra started. His voice startled me at first, "but you have no combat backgrounds…?"

I searched through my memories of anything that was relevant, but failed to come up with something. How awkward; I called myself a Star Warrior but never fought or picked up a weapon before in my entire life.

"No."

"But what about when you said that you 'couldn't get away' from those two demon beasts who attacked you?" Garlude asked, taking hold of my wrist and feeling for my pulse. She let it go eventually after feeling that it was normal for the most part. (I was still getting over that I got a shot without me knowing it.)

"Well, yes, but I don't know if that counts…" I trailed off, only because I did not think of that to be very Star Warrior-like. I had to fight my way through, of course, but doing that seemed more barbaric than genuine and noble.

"You rebelled against Nightmare's forces, so of course it counts." Jecra replied in an instant.

Nightmare's forces…I never thought of it that way. If I attacked a loyal servant to that wizard, it might have been the right place for my actions to undergo. But endangering a soul, even if it was evil, wasn't in my nature.

"Even though I tried to kill him?"

There was a long, awkward pause. I could tell that both Jecra and Garlude were trying to think of something to say, but couldn't quite grasp the words.

"You'll get used to it." Jecra said simply.

Those words would have not been my first choice. I knew I had to fight demon beasts, but getting used to killing them had to be impossible, at least for me. I was a small puffball, not a blood-thirsty assassin. The thoughts of me in armor, ready to kill raced through my mind as Garlude examined my foot. I had forgotten about the pain in that area since my wings were overcoming me with pain. Now that I couldn't feel them, the agony in my foot came back to haunt me. Without a moment's notice, she gently wrapped it up after cleaning my wound to make it slightly less horrendous-looking.

"Comfortable?" she asked. I nodded. "Good. It'll be a while before this heals up all the way, but I think just a little bit of care is all you need."

Garlude walked over to my side and turned me over onto my back. I felt the mattress's presence, but I did not feel the slightest thing. It was almost scary, to say the least, knowing that if it was not completely numb, I would basically be cringing uncontrollably with agony.

"You should get some rest, Meta. You've worked hard to get yourself this far," Garlude said as she pulled a thin cotton sheet over half of me. I had to admit that I was tired, but I was hungrier than I was sleepy. I realized that I had not eaten a scrap of food since sunset last night, but I didn't become conscious of my hunger only because of how sick I felt on Nightmare's ship.

My stomach roared as my thoughts could not veer away from food. I doubted that either of these two had any food on them at the time, but to my luck, my stomach's noise was loud enough to alert Jecra and Garlude right before they were getting up to leave me be.

"Hungry?" Jecra smirked.

My cheeks glowed fuchsia. "Yes; I haven't eaten anything since last night. I would take any food you are willing to offer me…"

"You're very formal for such a small puffball." Garlude leaned against the railing at the foot of the bed. An amused smile crept up on her face. "I'm sure Jecra can get you something from the ship if you want to eat…"

A small "yes" from me was the only cue Jecra needed; he got up and walked out of the tent, but he looked uncertain when he left.

"You have a ship…?" I questioned, ungluing my eyes from Jecra and trying to make as much eye contact with the young lady in front of me. Garlude nodded, pulling up a wooden chair next to me and sitting down in it.

"Yes, and naturally, it's enormous." she said. "We have to get around somehow, you know? There are so many of us in the GSA, as we call it, so we need our space every once in a while. I'm surprised you didn't see it before you came here, but then again, your eyesight isn't the best right now…" I looked up at her to test what she had just said, and I found that it had improved—the ever-so slightest bit.

"Oh, I see." I replied. "Hopefully its ride is a lot smoother than Nightmare's. His made me feel incredibly sick; I was knocked out before I had a chance to actually throw up."

Garlude laughed quietly. "I bet you wouldn't have thrown up, Meta. Usually space travel won't cause small creatures like you to get sick, except Noisurat once did, I heard." She smirked at her own joke, and I forced quiet laughter, since I did not know who this "Noisurat" was.

There was a short silence after our laughter died down. We both were at a loss of words, and I could tell that Garlude was desperately trying to think of something to say or ask. Finally, I broke the silence.

"I was just wondering if I could ask you something." I said without thinking about my words.

"Sure, Meta, anything."

I became aware that the spotlight was on me; what _was _I going to ask? My mind searched for a simple question to casually ask the attractive girl.

"Why don't you think I'm a spy from Nightmare? Aren't I pulling off as suspicious to you?" My stomach sank; that wasn't the best thing to ask at a time like this. I could envision clearly Garlude and Jecra angrily abandoning me here on this planet to die. I watched Garlude's face grow wary. I sighed.

"Sorry, Garlude, that's not what I—"

"No, Meta, it's okay." she interrupted. I froze in my place, expecting the worst out of her. "I'll answer it to the best of my ability. Where to start…?"

I watched her intently, but not to intimidate her. I could tell that she was deep in thought when she closed her burgundy eyes and fiddled with her dress. I shifted myself so I sat up, trying not to make a lot of noise that would disrupt her mindset.

"I guess I just trust you without thinking of it. It's almost unexplainable," Garlude trailed off. I stared with the thin white sheet draped over half of my body.

"Why do you say 'almost'?" I asked quietly. I didn't mean for her to hear it, but somehow, she did.

"Sir Arthur said something about a planet being attacked a day ago. He said something about a Star Warrior being taken away by Nightmare's forces, but that was all." Garlude explained. "I don't know if it's you he was talking about, but…"

"So you assume that I'm an ally?"

"You wouldn't be an ally if you hadn't asked about whether we trusted you or not," Garlude smirked. I couldn't argue with that. If I was a spy, I wouldn't ask such things in fear of suspicion. I was afraid of their distrust towards me, but not in the same way that a spy would.

"But you do trust me…?" I finished. She nodded.

"Of course I do. I'm sure Jecra does as well, but only time will tell if Sir Arthur will, too." Garlude placed her hand on mine comfortingly. "How's your back?"

"Fine." I replied simply, followed by a short yawn. Garlude giggled, amused by my "adorable" appearance being overcome by such a huge yawn. I settled into my pillow, suddenly aware of how comfortable it was.

"Get some rest before Jecra comes back. We won't leave you, okay?" she said. "I promise."

Then, before I closed my eyes, Garlude did something most foreign and unexpected to me. She rose from her chair, placed her hand on my cheek and placed her lips on my forehead. My face went hot. She let go of me and folded her hands, smiling one of her sincere smiles.

I wanted to ask why, but my eyes drooped as if someone were controlling them. Without another moment's thought, I allowed myself to sleep once more.

* * *

The sleep, unlike my recent ones, was dreamless and fast. The universe had been generous to me and given me a time to rest peacefully and fully without intrusion of fires or villains. As I stirred in the soft and comfortable bed quietly, I was curious as to why I awoke so suddenly. My eyes fluttered open. I was still in the infirmary, but it was dense with darkness; night had fallen while I had been sleeping.

Scents of food greeted me with a pleasant aroma. I sniffed the air like a dog, savoring the smell and potential tastes of food, quickly cast aside by pessimistic thoughts of said food being leftover from another's dinner. Nevertheless, I rolled over onto my other side, as the smells were trailing from my right. I rubbed my eyes at the dimly-lit sight of a plate of food sitting on a small table. It must have been for me; it was untouched, unmoved, and placed in such a specific location.

My stomach growled, pleading for it. I sat up and took the plate, a tad disappointed by its contents. There were mere slices of bread spread with a small portion of butter, and a small glass of water. I glowered at it, wishing to have told Jecra that my species actually eats like any other – some even more. Though I wanted to complain and rant about it, I couldn't ignore how hungry I was. I put up with the lowliness of the meal and started in on a slice of bread, enjoying the feel of it run down my throat.

Before I continued, I glanced to my left, feeling an odd sense of presence there. My eyes remained glued to the being there for an unknown reason. Garlude was asleep on a small bed at the end of the tent, I saw, and she was so motionless I nearly mistook her for being dead. Her lavender hair, once pulled back partially, was now cascading about her, long and graceful. I couldn't believe how much of a different person she looked like just by the way her hair looked.

I finally unattached my eyes from the young lady and concentrated on my food as I ate more of the bread quickly. My stomach was praising me for finally giving it food – it had been slightly more than a day since I had eaten anything. The past morning seemed so distant; it felt like I had dreamed of it. I thought of my strength that I was able to conjure up so quickly. I ran, dodged, jumped, and rebelled all in a period of several hours, but where did it all come from? Did my rage give it to me or was it something else?

I reached down for another piece of bread, but found that the plate was clean. I sighed. Though I managed to satisfy myself with less food than I was used to, I wanted something more.

A sharp pain in my back caused me to flinch and gasp. It was unusually sudden with no sign beforehand; surely no medicine would wear off in such a manner. I wanted to stop the pain before it got worse, and doing so would require waking Garlude. However, I didn't want to wake her; it would be simply rude of me. I improvised and took a large gulp of water and began to gently recline myself backwards until my back rested on the mattress. If I went to sleep, I would be able to talk to Garlude in the morning about it. I shut my eyes and relaxed, hoping to fall asleep fast.

But something kept me up. My instinct was chanting that something drew near by sending me pulses of adrenaline rushes. It was eerie, for in a matter of moments, I heard soft footsteps approach the infirmary tent. I kept my eyes shut, thinking it was a soldier, perhaps even Jecra, coming to get help from Garlude.

It was useless; my mind wouldn't stop wrapping itself around thoughts of Nightmare and his demon beasts. I couldn't think about anything else, and I felt that it was no mere nervous or aftershock reaction. I kept trying to fill my thoughts with random and puzzling images to keep me occupied. I could not even begin to think of even a simple riddle to make me ponder – that too was useless.

As I heard the person enter our tent, my wings throbbed once more. I kept my eyes closed, hoping to fool whoever was there so they would not disturb me. Only Jecra and Garlude knew of me, after all; the thoughts of what would happen if anyone else found me were frighteningly unknown. I felt the figure's eyes on me, looking me over, and then the footsteps were descending towards the back of the tent.

Garlude, I gasped in my head. I sat up cautiously, peering down at my caregiver. She was still fast asleep, and the figure, male, I assumed, was inching towards her with every silent step. He lifted something into the air, and it drew me in even more as my curiosity skyrocketed. I leaned forward to get a better view. Something wasn't right at all.

The wind from the outside kicked up and blew a sharp breeze into the infirmary, revealing the full moon in the sky. Through its ominous light, I was able to see that the object being lifted in the air was something gleaming. It was a sword.

"Garlude, look out!!" I shouted suddenly, surprising both me and the shadowed figure. Garlude's warm eyes shot open and her shrill cry filled the air. She leaped out of her bed just as the silhouette brought down his sword. The blade sheathed the mattress, and he began to attempt to pull it out. Garlude ran to me, still facing her attacker. She opened her mouth to say something, but something made me stop her.

"Find Jecra. I'll stay here." I said with as much strength as I possibly could find. Garlude's face was full of shock, but after a slight hesitation, she dashed outside.

I got out of bed to the best of my ability, my foot still lacking enough energy to run. I looked up at the figure as a harsh rip met the air. The figure was staring at me, revealing two glowing red eyes as he brandished his sword in my direction. The air about him was full of frustration and anger hence I got in the way of he and his prey. My stomach did a back flip at the sight. I had no sword, no shield, and no armor.

I was doomed.


	8. VII

_Spring Break does its wonders! Another chapter in less than a week. How's that for efficiency? Updates will be back to their slowness after this. School's wrapping up the year and it means big tests and events for me. Rats! I'll still be writing though, you can count on that._

_The rough spot is in the first part. I can't do trance-sequences very well. Tips for me would be sooo appreciated. _

_This demon beast has no name. I was lazy and didn't really bother to give him one. XD Oh, towards the end there is a touch of gore. Pay attention to that. It's important, and I'll do something awesome for you if you tell me why Meta's blood is darker than usual. At least make a sporting guess, everyone! I like to hear what's happening in a reader's head as they read my stories._

_Enjoy, guys. It has action, which I'm sure a lot of you are fans of!! _

_-Laz_

* * *

For some reason, time felt like it had slowed, or even stopped as we stared each other down. Though he was not terribly large, he was indeed silent and appeared to be very swift. I admitted silently that I was intimidated by this stranger who attempted to attack Garlude. My only questions for him were who he was, and why he was there.

His narrowed red eyes in the pitch black darkness were captivating and a part of me found it…comforting. I forgot why I was standing there, or why I was even in the place I was. My heart beat slower, my shaking stopped, and my entire body relaxed as a deep voice filled my mind.

"_**Meta Knight…Meta Knight…"**_

This voice…how did he know my name? Only the first part of it was my actual name. What of the second part? I took in a gulp of air, preparing to answer. Half of my thoughts were screaming at me to stop and to snap out of it; and I knew they were right. Still, this person seemed inviting, whoever it was. The temptation was growing stronger, however, so was my mind. Something was pulling on me to not give in; it was the most eerie thing I had ever felt in my short life. I wanted to fill the air with noise to get myself to my senses, so as I prepared my vocal chords and spoke:

"_Your Darkness, Nightm…_"

I stopped; this wasn't what I was planning to yell out…what was I saying?

My eyes received a sudden feeling, just as the one before when my eyes changed color. I snapped them shut and shook my head. What was I doing – what was I saying? And my eyes; the feeling stopped and returned to normal. For once, the mutation I had been given had saved me. My adversary was using an offensive mechanism – no normal soldier could have done such a technique. I made a straight-away guess that this person was a demon beast.

But the voice, I recognized, was from my dream; where was this person coming from, and how was he getting to me? It had been the second time that he had come into contact with me, both in which times resulted in demon beasts coming after me. Something was strange, but when I looked up at the demon beast in front of me, I knew I couldn't think for long.

Judging by his outraged appearance, the demon beast knew something went wrong with his plan. He leaped towards me, sword in the air, and I quickly limped away from the danger he presented. I had gotten myself into a fight – of course, I had made action yet again without thinking! What use was I when I was still injured?

He swung his sword towards my head, missing my dark self in the black of the night. I dove towards Garlude's bed as I hoped that she had any type of weapon to defend with. Alas, I saw no sword, arrows, or axe. I needed help, but Garlude had left only a few moments ago. I went to the last resort and crawled under the bed, praying that he did not see me and would give up.

But he did take notice of me, and down came the sword through the bed, nearly piercing through my wings. The blade was removed, but ripped through once more, this time a few inches in front of my face. I yelped out in surprise, giving away my specific location, but I swung the bed out, hitting my opponent in the legs. As soon as I stood up, his sword came at me once more. If I hadn't ducked like I did, my head would have been sliced clean off.

I ran around the bed and towards the exit, giving up on being heroic and focusing on saving my life. My back was met with the pommel of his sword, and I fell to the ground, wings twitching in distress. He got me right in the center – right where it hurt, and the pain was unbearable. My mind was dizzy with anguish, and I couldn't concentrate. Not again, I thought. A fight lost without even hitting my enemy!

My opponent's cry of anger was all I needed to snap back into reality. I sat up quickly, sensing the demon beast about to bring down his sword onto me. I rolled over on my side as soon as the blade impacted harshly with the ground. My heart raced. Something about this battle was familiar, as if it had happened before.

I attempted to get to my feet, but my wound made me weak. I could not get up. My only hope was Jecra. The gleam of the blade was now headed for me, and I snapped my eyes shut. I let my instinct take over; my hand shot up, open, pleading for mercy. The sword met my hand.

The air became still. I opened my eyes and saw that I held the blade firmly in my grasp.

Taken aback by such a thing, I could only stare. How could I have caught something so quickly? It was impossible for me, such a weak, injured thing, to have done such a vast action. I must have been dreaming, I thought.

I became aware of a sharp pain in my hand. The sharp steel was moving horizontally against my gloved hand, slicing it violently. I yelped out, startled by the hurt. My blood dripped down to the ground, staining it with an unfamiliar dark red color. I was in shock as I brought back my hand and clutched it. There was a distinct red line on my palm that became the center of my new injury; my new pain. But why, I wondered, was it such a dark color? My blood had always been brighter, or at least that was what I remembered.

"META!!" someone cried out. I threw my head back at the demon beast above me. It didn't come from him, I knew; he wouldn't know my name, would he?

He was ready now to make his last strike on me, holding his stained sword in the air once more. I couldn't repeat the same action twice, I guessed, and I covered my head, waiting for the worst. After a moment, a bright flash illuminated the entire tent. Still holding my hand, I leaned over to see where the source of the call came from.

Jecra and Garlude stood at the entrance of the door. I was relieved greatly; finally they had come to rescue me; a few moments too late. Jecra rushed over to me, concern written all over his face.

"Meta, are you okay?? What happened?!" He clung to my arms, shaking me softly to focus my attention on him. I was dazed and confused still from the attack I had received. Where did the demon beast go? How did it disappear, and why?

"A demon beast…" I whispered, overwhelmed. My eyes trailed down to my wounded hand. So many thoughts were rushing through my mind: the battle had gone by so fast, but I was hurt so badly. It really was Nightmare's demon beasts that were after me; he was never gone to begin with. My running had never ended.

"Calm down, Meta. You're safe now," Jecra sheathed his sword and offered his arm for me to rest back on. "Garlude!"

She was in front of me in a blink of an eye, relieved to see me alive but scared to find me hurt. Her careful hands came to mine, looking at my injury closely. I was gradually escaping the trance I was in as the seconds flew by. When time continued to pass, my thoughts were clearing up until I regained my normal calmness.

So many things – peculiar in all meanings of the word – were happening to me. Was I to be this way for the rest of my life?


	9. VIII

_Hello, everyone!_

_Whew. Long chapter. I wasn't exactly satisfied with the ending, but try to remember the things that Jecra says, especially about Falspar. He's putting it lightly when he says that they don't get along very well, and you'll see how lightly it is VERY soon._

_I've just started the next chapter--one that I've been eager to start for quite some time. I reveal nothing about it! You'll just have to wait and see. ;)_

_Enjoy, guys! _

_-Laz_

* * *

I did not get much rest after the attack. Garlude, now with a shredded mattress, decided to remain awake and read a short novel just outside the tent. She assured me that she was not tired any longer, but I knew that she wanted to look out for me and her own self. Jecra said that he would go back to the ship and tell Sir Arthur what occurred, swearing not to use my name as of yet. Despite my excitement of his presence, I didn't want to have him know that I was here. I was not sure why exactly; perhaps it was because I was self-conscious of the fact that I was not a normal person. I was, technically, a demon beast.

As for me, I stayed up through the night as well. I tried to return to my sleep, but the aftershock of what happened wouldn't let me fall out of consciousness. My wings felt fine, much better than when I arrived, and my foot was in fair condition. I was healing up dramatically fast, I noted. My hand was yet to feel different. I shrugged it off, hoping that it would heal fast. Every once in a while it would throb, pulsing bursts of sting throughout my palm.

Despite everything, Jecra came in at sunrise with an optimistic smile. I stared at him in confusion.

"Ready to go?"

I blinked. "…Where…?"

"Well, we don't know yet, but it'll be a different planet. Don't you remember, Meta?" Jecra explained. "We told you we were just about to leave, and after Arthur heard of the attack, he said we should be on our way. That should be the last one; we haven't seen one in a day."

He offered me a hand next, not giving me a chance to respond. "I didn't tell him a thing about you, but I'm sure we can sneak you onboard somehow. Let's go now – no one's up quite yet."

Everything was happening too fast for my liking; I still could not understand what was going on. I did not comprehend what was wrong with staying here and leaving so quickly – had they already fought all the battles they could? Despite my uncertainty, there Jecra was, still offering me his hand and giving me a pleasant smile.

"I-I don't know, Jecra," I took his hand with my uninjured one, "what happens if I do get caught?"

"You won't."

I was quick to deny. My awkward appearance would only cause me to stick out more than ever.

"I will, though! Look at me, Jecra, I'm not a normal person anymore…!" I tried to contain my sudden outburst of energy so I would not wake the sleeping soldiers. He tugged at me now, signaling me to get out of bed all the way. I submitted myself and gently got out of bed. He and I began towards the entrance to the tent. I was still partially limping on my injured foot, enduring the pain and amount of energy it took to lift it alone.

"Everyone who joins the Galaxy Soldier Army looks different anyway, Meta," Jecra explained. "You won't be treated any differently than a newcomer. We just need to stay out of Arthur's sight until we come up with a plan."

I blinked. "And when would that be?" Though I didn't want to be discovered by such an authoritative figure, I wanted to see Arthur face to face as soon as I could. I worked much too hard to get myself to where I was.

"That depends…maybe a week or two…?" Jecra trailed off. I shut my eyes in disbelief.

"Nightmare's destroyed my chances…" I started quietly, bringing myself to a stop at the entrance. Jecra took the hint and latched onto my thoughts quickly.

"Chances? Chances of what, being in the Army?"

I looked up at him with my pitiful golden eyes. He read me like a book, I thought, and he hesitated for a moment. Jecra was desperate for words of any sort. I sighed and turned toward the entrance of the tent, attempting to neglect my pessimistic thoughts.

I felt the air about him shift suddenly from apprehensive to shock. I paused for a moment as his eyes scanned me, then looked up at his widened expression.

"What?"

"Your wings…they're gone."

"I don't understand…"

"Where are your wings?!" he cried out and rushed over to me. He looked all around me, searching every inch of me to find my mutation, but could not. But then I felt his hands grab hold of something – it had to be them!

"Jecra, stop! Those are my wings, you found them!" I gasped. Jecra was silent and let them go.

"Huh?"

"You grabbed hold of my wings. I felt it." I explained slowly. Jecra hesitated, then grabbed my wings once more and held on to them firmly.

"Like this?"

"Yes," I nodded. His grip became too tight and I let out a small yelp. "Ow, not so hard, Jecra!! Are you blind or something?! Can't you see them? They should be right there on the center of my back…"

Jecra stroked my wings next, feeling them carefully. When he reached the middle, it felt odd, like I only had one wing instead of two. I thought of it as a side-effect of Garlude's shot that she gave me earlier.

"They _are _back there, aren't they?"

"No, Meta, whatever you're feeling is a _cape_!" Jecra exclaimed. He tossed it over my head, covering my face. He began to laugh as I tried to get it off of my head. I observed that it was dark indigo, almost a dark violet, just as my wings were. Even when I managed to get it off of me, he continued to chuckle somewhat.

"What is so funny about that??"

Jecra sighed, catching his breath. I waited as patiently as I could for his foolery to end.

"Nightmare's a piece of work. Your wings must fold into a cape, Meta. For whatever reason he has, it's too random…" Jecra straightened out my cape delicately along my back as he said this. I stared at the ground; surely Nightmare had a purpose for such a wild act.

"Just be thankful that you have something to cover them up. But don't show them to anyone until we figure this entire thing out, okay?" Jecra continued. "Now, we should get going pretty fast before anyone wakes up. Let's go."

He lifted the tent flap up and gestured for me to go ahead, and I started. It was not long before I became aware that my newly-formed cape was down to the ground and trailing behind me; I was too small for it to fit me right.

"The cape is too long," I muttered before the fresh air met me. Jecra looked at me, perplexed.

"What should we do…?"

"…Cut it." I suggested.

"But if you were to cut part of your cape off, you would be cutting part of your wings off, wouldn't you?"

I swallowed at the gruesome thought. "Forget it."

Jecra smirked as he closed the flap, cutting off the sunlight from my eyes. I could tell that I was amusing him, whether I meant to or not. The tent filled with silence after my last comment; both of us were stuck on the issue of my long cape. All my suggestions sounded painful after my previous one. Then, Jecra spoke.

"Try grabbing hold of your cape with both hands and cross your arms."

I did, and I suddenly found myself wrapped inside of it. I looked down and was ecstatic that it wasn't dragging on the ground anymore. I thanked him.

"You look a little odd for now, but we'll see how it goes. Soldiers sometimes fold their cape like what you're doing when they get cold." Jecra shrugged. "Whoever mutated you must have done a bad job…I don't think Ebisu would be that inaccurate." Jecra shrugged.

"Who?" I asked, curious. The name sounded familiar, sure, but I wasn't quick to trust my blurred memory. Jecra winced, paused, and quickly opened up the tent flap once more. He shoved me outside, hard. I narrowed my eyes back at him, annoyed with how disrespectful he was towards me.

"I'll tell you later." He let the tent go and remained inside, leaving me out in the open.

Though I was exposed to any watchful eye, I did nothing to keep myself hidden. The sky was blanketed with shades of rose, lavender, and gold as the distant sunrise began to emerge. It had been two days since I had seen such magnificence. Perhaps it was a sign of brighter things coming my way.

Smaller tents were made into a circle that included the infirmary in its circumference; tents that I assumed belonged to the soldiers. In the center was a fairly small circle that contained wood that was now stained black; a fire must have sat there at one time. Garlude was next to it, sleeping with her book laid flat over her torso and her hand upon it. I smiled softly at the sight of her sleeping. I was pleased to see that she had made through another night because of me. I had been so pessimistic about my appearance and what was happening to me that I forgot that I saved a life in the end.

"Ready?" Jecra's voice whispered behind me. I turned around and nodded. "Let's go."

He walked in front of me and began to walk quietly as possible through the space between two tents. My heart raced as I observed Jecra's frozen, careful facial expression as he slinked through. He was obviously working hard not to make a noise. Another obstacle that I had forgotten about: leaves were scattered on the ground. They were dry and dead; if anyone were to step on them lightly, they would crackle loudly. Somehow, though, Jecra was able to move past them without a fault.

As he made the final step past the soldier's tent, he relaxed and gestured for me to follow. I swallowed nervously. This young man had years of agility and experience behind him and I had none; I would never make it past without waking anyone just as he had!

Jecra saw my hesitance and frowned. "Meta, come on!" he whispered loud enough for me to hear. I remained silent. There was no possible method for me to equal his moves exactly.

He dropped his arms and rolled his eyes as I would not move. "It's the only option! We can't get out any other way!"

A way! I thought. There had to be another path out. There had to be some kind of element around me, something helpful to use. I looked around and stopped at a tree hanging above. If there was a nearby branch, I could jump up, grab it, and climb out of the perimeter. Unfortunately, the nearest branch was meters above me. I couldn't begin to reach it, let alone jump to it.

Jecra latched onto my idea and shook his head. "No, no, Meta! Bad idea! _Really_ bad idea!!" He fought the urge to yell it out, I could tell. I glanced back over at him and shook my head. There was more risk in squeezing between two tents than jumping up to a branch.

I dropped my arms, letting my cape flow down to the ground. I squatted down, readied myself, and jumped. In an instant, I was rushing in the air, resisting all gravity and letting myself shoot up. It took seconds to realize that I was above my target by a long shot. How did I get up so far?! I eventually stopped and fell back down, still in shock as to how high I was.

Deciding against grabbing a branch, I was approaching Jecra very quickly now; I had made an unconscious effort to move forward in my leap apparently. He held out his arms hesitantly, and I impacted with him. Jecra stumbled backwards and finally fell back, releasing me in the process. We landed on the ground with a solid thump.

Though it knocked some of the air out of me, Jecra quickly sat up and examined the nearby campsite quickly from afar. He sighed and turned around to me. I frowned, not sure if he was indicating severity towards me. But without a moment's hesitation, he rose from the ground and continued onward, pulling me up to my feet as he passed me.

"I had no idea you could do that…" Jecra muttered after we were a great distance from the campsite. I noticed he was fighting a smile.

"Me neither," I responded humbly. "Sorry to have made you worry."

Jecra shook his head and plucked several leaves from his golden locks. "There's nothing to be sorry about. I was more concerned about a branch breaking and falling than you doing something spontaneously like that." He paused, and then continued. "I'm happy you have that sort of agility. We can work on it a little more when I start training you."

I made an attempt at remaining positive when he and I made our way through a thick bush. Branches reached and grabbed at me before Jecra's sword cut at them harshly. I stepped carefully over them next, observing his gleaming blade. He held the powerful weapon with such ease and grace; it seemed to call to my soul just looking at it.

"Ah, there it is."

I unglued my golden eyes from the blade and turned forward. An enormous ship sat in the middle of an empty plain, silver and breathtaking. The metal had been crafted into a sleek design that could cut through the air like a knife; hopefully much less rough than Nightmare's ship. Yet as I gazed upon its magnificence, my stomach began to fill itself with butterflies. Excitement, anxiety, fear, and anticipation created a burst of adrenaline rush inside of me. This wondrous aircraft would carry me away from Nightmare's everlasting pursuance of me.

"The Galaxy Soldier Army's ship, maneuvered by Sir Dragato and led by Sir Arthur." Jecra announced. "Pretty cool, isn't it?"

"It's amazing." I breathed. It was a wonder how Arthur could have built it or obtained such a piece of machinery. I felt like a child in a toy store, so easily pleased. "Jecra, can we please…?"

"Sure, follow me." Jecra said as he turned his head a few times. I glanced over from the ship and noticed that he was gone, swiftly sprinting to the side of the craft. I ducked down low and followed after him, mindful of my footing. He and I stopped underneath one of the wings.

"How…how do we get inside?" I panted.

"We go around back." Jecra walked silently beneath the shelter of the aircraft as he turned a corner. I followed close behind. Once we arrived at our point, the engines hung above our heads so far, we had to duck in order to avoid getting hit by them.

Jecra got on his knees and crawled underneath, cuing me to mimic his action. I grimaced and got on my knees. Below the ship was immensely dark. It took a minute for Jecra to pry open a sheet of metal with his blade, and it released a beam of light.

"Engine room." Jecra hopped inside, pulling me up as well. My feet reached down to the steel ground until he let my wrist go. The room was small and dimly-lit, housing enormous and overwhelming cylinders that must have been the fuel tanks. A set of stairs stood in the corner: our way inside.

He took his sword and lifted the metal onto its side, flipping it back over onto the floor. I stared at it; how noticeable it was! The sheet of metal was supposed to be in a straight line with the others, but it was sitting at a crooked angle. Surely it would be noticed if we were not to repair it ourselves.

Jecra walked past me without a care. I dashed looks from the sheet to him, distressed. "Jecra, we'll be found out if someone is to see what we left!"

"Relax. Things like that always happen; it'll be repaired without a second thought." Jecra turned around and motioned for me to follow. I obeyed and followed him, but my worries still remained on our obvious way of infiltration. I tried to trust his instinct as we leaped up the stairs and slipped through the heavy door, shoving it closed on the way out.

The door led to a dark hallway leading to two dead ends. It was small; only about three of me could fit across. There were a few doors leading to unknown rooms along the walls. Jecra led me across the hall and up another flight of stairs that were illuminated by bright lights above.

After forty or so steps, we were on a level that was circular. It was well-lit this time, and shiny, mirror-like metal coated the walls and floors. This hall held several doors, doors that I guessed to be leading to the soldier's living quarters. I was eager to go see what one of the rooms looked like. I took a step forward, but he stopped me and started up yet another set of steps behind me. I stared in disbelief at Jecra as he silently made his way up. How many stairs were in this place?

Still, I started up them as well, following closely behind my companion. My feet began aching halfway up and it showed as I began to slow down. As we turned at a landing, Jecra glanced back and laughed quietly.

"Just a little bit longer," he smiled, hopping up the last few stairs. He snatched my wrist when I was four steps away and pulled me up. Though this floor was a smaller circle than the last, it retained its reflective metallic surfaces. It seemed more gleaming and bright than the last floor as well, and it was clean to begin with. I wondered why it was so special.

We walked down the left hallway, Jecra mindful of his footing, and I imitating him to the best of my ability. The sight of doors one after the other was tiresome, but there seemed to be less of them. I was completely intrigued now; just what _did_ make this floor so unique?

"My room is really far away from the engine room." Jecra whispered. "Sorry about that. At least you can't hear any noise when we take off and fly. It helps when you sleep, believe me."

"Why are you whispering?" I asked softly, copying Jecra's volume. Jecra glanced across me and looked at the room numbers that hung above the steel doors.

"This is a really important level we're on. Just above us is the control deck, so guess who spends most of his time up there." Jecra replied. I replied in clueless silence. "I'll give you a hint. His name starts with an 'a' and he's in charge of the GSA."

"Arthur?!" I exclaimed at my normal volume. Jecra clasped a hand over my mouth.

"Shh, yeah. He, Falspar, and Noisurat all have living quarters on this level. Dragato lives near the engine room because that's his job." Jecra explained. My eyes widened. "Everyone who has a knight ranking and above lives here. Everyone else lives below."

His hand lifted from my mouth. I folded my cape around me, feeling slightly cold now. "So are they here now?" I whispered. Jecra nodded in reply. My heart sank. One mistake and I would be caught as an intruder, and Jecra would be caught as a smuggler. Our pace quickened now; Jecra apparently knew who abided in the rooms we were passing. We walked by one that carried an invigorating scent of a plant. It almost smelled like…jasmine? It seemed to seep from the small crack beneath the door.

"Falspar's room." Jecra mumbled softly, narrowing his eyes in the room's direction. His voice turned biting. "He's definitely a spiritual person. He drinks a load of tea each day and meditates like no other being in the universe."

"What's wrong with Falspar?" I asked.

"Nothing. He and I don't get along very well." Jecra returned his eyes to the front. I said nothing more, fearing an angry outburst from him. We remained silent until we passed Arthur's room. My spirits lifted for some reason, and I smiled, muttering his name. Jecra smiled as well.

"He is one incredible guy, Meta. I really want you to meet him soon." Jecra said, his brown eyes shining. "You two would get along nicely, I'm sure of it."

It surprised me how quickly his tone changed. Arthur must have impacted his life greatly in order for his feelings to change from angry to hopeful. After a few more doors, Jecra stopped and crossed my path. Jecra opened the door, ushering me in quickly and closing the door quietly. It locked with a solid thump.

The room was a decent size, fitting two beds with plenty of room to spare. The beds, I noticed, seemed welcoming and more comfortable than Garlude's infirmary mattresses. One clean-cut table stood between the two beds, holding one lamp in the middle and a picture on the right. Jecra heaved himself onto the bed on the right and took a sigh. I watched him, keeping myself at the door. He sat up, ruffling his blond hair.

"It's okay, Meta, take a load off. You can bunk with me; I don't mind you at all." He smiled at me, gesturing towards the other bed. I sat down on it, finding that it was indeed softer than Garlude's. I stroked the navy blanket beneath me, wondering if I could get used to a lifestyle as such.

"Me?" I mused aloud, still feeling the blanket. He nodded silently.

"I've never really liked anyone to be in the same room as me since I lost my wife…it's just a personal thing." Jecra was staring up at the ceiling now. I looked up at him. I couldn't tell if he was fighting tears yet. "She was a great girl to be around. Sweet, loving, dedicated. She and I had a kid together, too."

"I'm…sorry, Jecra." I was at a loss of words. He rolled over onto his stomach and faced me.

"It only motivates me to fight harder in the war. Nightmare's goons killed a lot of people on my planet, including my wife. That's why I joined the army." Jecra smiled. I forced one as well. "So what about you? Why did you want to join?"

I paused to think. "We're Star Warriors; do we have to have reasons?"

"It's always interesting to make them up." he replied.

I looked at the floor. I never really thought about it deeply. There had been so many more tragic things in my life to think about than why I wanted to be a part of the war. Was it because of my parents? No, I answered myself. I wanted to be a soldier before they were murdered. It might have been Arthur's actions that inspired me.

"I…don't know…" I finally said. "I never really thought about it."

"Maybe it'll come to you later."

I shrugged his words off automatically. My purpose for being here was unknown. I wasn't even sure why I was still alive. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong in the past two days, except for a few vital details. Wasn't I scared of this war now? Why _was _I here?

Perhaps I knew why, but I lost it to Nightmare. It had been simply another thing I had lost.


	10. IX

_Hey, all! Long time no see, huh?_

_Right now the majority of my stress is gone; the school play is over and the year is winding down! So I'll probably be writing more than usual. Sweet._

_I had to split this chapter in half; it was too long and I want to make people scream for the next chapter. :D I'm such a nice person, huh? _

_I've already had one question be brought to me about Ebisu--AWESOME. I'm so glad that **guitardude2** was brave enough to break the ice and ask me something! So kudos goes to him. If any of you want info on anything, I'll see what I can do. ;) Ask away, folks!_

_Jecra's story was a bit of a random thing I had to do. It's amusing, though! It's based off of one of my dad's many stories from his childhood minus all the demon beasts and a war. It was with my dad, his brother (my uncle), and his sister (my aunt). My aunt was like Gawain, my dad Jecra and my uncle Lionel. And it wasn't a ditch in real life; it was this canyon-dried-up-river-thing. XD Owch!_

_So here it is: chapter 9 of Hoshi no Senshi on a silver platter, specially for you!_

_-Laz_

* * *

Jecra set his shield and armor down next to his bed. I watched him, veering away from my deep thoughts; my head was beginning to ache. As he undid his scabbard, I rested my head in my hands. What was I to do now? I actually wanted to find Arthur now and talk with him, even though I didn't want to see his face at all earlier. The truth was, I was overwhelmingly bored, and Jecra was fully aware of it.

"You can sleep if you want. I don't have a lot of things to do; usually when we start flying, soldiers go around and talk." Jecra said. I shook my head. There was no way I would fall asleep again after all that Nightmare did to me.

"No, thanks. I'm not all that tired." I lied. I _was_ tired, but I was more scared than I was sleepy; I wanted to avoid Nightmare at all costs. He nodded as he unsheathed and examined his sword. I looked at the blade as well, interested in its sheen.

"I understand." Jecra responded.

"My head hurts, actually. Do you have something to help it stop?" I asked politely.

"Not me personally, but I'm sure Garlude has some medicine." Jecra answered. "The infirmary is across the way, but it's locked up right now. Garlude can probably get you some and bring it here when she gets on board if you want."

I thanked him for his hospitality as I rubbed my head. I noticed that after all the armor he took off, he made an effort to keep a small star pinned to his shirt.

"What is that?" I asked, pointing to my chest. He looked down at his and took off the star.

"It's kind of like a pin; it symbolizes that you're in the Galaxy Soldier Army." he explained after a pause. "Well, not only that, but it says that you're a Star Warrior. It gives us a pretty good amount of strength; really handy on the battlefield. You'll probably get one."

I took note of the "probably" in his sentence; that was most likely the chance of my acceptance in the army. I sighed; everything had to relate back to my secrecy. I felt like a spy, I was so isolated and kept quiet. Jecra sat down when he assured himself that his sword was underneath his bed. After a moment, he looked at the floor as he tried to gain a conversation-starter. An awkward silence drifted between us.

He finally looked up at me. "How about some stories?"

Strange conversation, I thought, but I had nothing better to do.

"I don't know any myself," I admitted. The Star Warrior laughed heartily.

"I have plenty. It's what you get from hanging around a bunch of soldiers all day. Do you want to hear one?" Jecra asked. I nodded eagerly. "Sweet, alright. So Falspar's a really powerful general in the army, okay? He sometimes sends me to go scout an area for demon beasts with a few others. Not the most desirable job, but there was this one time where he put three of us in a group. It was me, Gawain, and Lionel; Gawain tends to act before he thinks and Lionel is the exact opposite, yet you never see the two apart.

"Anyways, so here we were, walking across a field, keeping on our toes and everything. But we actually heard some loud voices across it and behind some trees. We took it as a demon beast camp or a small village. Either way, we decided to press forward. When Gawain heard the voices, he decided to start running – almost sprinting – toward the source. Lionel and I stayed at our original walking paces. We started talking, but the next moment we looked up, Gawain was gone.

"We started panicking. We didn't see any demon beast or any person around except us; where could he have been? So we started running forward in Gawain's tracks. I had to stop Lionel really fast before he fell; there was this ditch right there in front of us. Gawain was sitting down there, laughing his head off. He had fallen into the ditch without even knowing it. It was hilarious; absolutely hilarious. Falspar got on Gawain about how he shouldn't run so fast when we told him what happened back at our site."

By the end, I was laughing along with Jecra. I wished I could've remembered a story to tell him, but I could not think of a single tale. Maybe it was because I was searching for something humorous and I had nothing humorous to tell. Every tragic thing in the book happened to me.

"And you have more than that?" I asked after catching my breath.

"Oh, yeah, tons more."

And I asked him to tell the rest. I couldn't help myself but to have the pleasure of hearing something uplifting after all the horrors of the night. After laying out some choices of stories, Jecra started his story-telling again. His tales took up tens of minutes, so he only was able to get in a few more before we started to hear footsteps and doors close outside of our room. Once hearing the commotion, I fell silent and stared at the door, aware of all the movements behind it.

"Relax, Meta, if someone wanted to come in, they'd knock first."

I only passively listened to Jecra's words as my mind made up tricks to mock my fear. I could only imagine Arthur pounding on the door, demanding entry, and upon receiving none, he would come inside by force. Then, he would see me; a monster – an intruder on their ship. I did not even know what he looked like, and there I was, envisioning some catastrophe with him in it! My heart raced, sending throbs of ache to my head once more.

"But what about Arthur?" I asked, sounding like a whining child.

"Arthur doesn't come in anyone else's room, believe me." Jecra replied, shrugging. "The last person would be Falspar, but Arthur is too busy to worry about his soldiers' living quarters. We'll just hang low for a little while longer and then we can go talk to Garlude and figure this out."

I was exasperated and confused. Something chained me to the thought of seeing him, just laying eyes upon his magnificence. He didn't have to exchange eye contact with me, even. I could settle with seeing him from afar.

"_I heard that Garlude was nearly killed last night by a demon beast."_

The voice was faint as it was sounded out behind the door. Jecra heard it as well; he perked up and went over to the door, pressing his side against it to listen. I tip-toed over next to him as well.

"_Jecra saved her, though. If it wasn't for him, we'd be out of a nurse."_

I growled. I couldn't believe it – if it weren't for me, Jecra wouldn't have come in the first place! How slanted did Jecra's story get? I stopped and cursed in my head; I wasn't supposed to be included in his tale.

"_Does Arthur know?"_

I brought my attention back to the conversation happening outside. Jecra said that he told Arthur, but the fact that they were questioning it made me wonder.

"_It got to him before it got to us. I think Jecra told him."_

"Crap, it got around to the others?!" Jecra exclaimed quietly. I peered up at him, not understanding the severity of the situation. "How did it get to them?! Oh, Arthur is going to be all over this – not to mention Falspar…"

It was then that a distant door was slammed harshly. I shuddered at the intense sound; it came from my right, and down the hall in that direction was Falspar's room…and Arthur's room.

"Jecra…" I whispered shakily. He hushed me quickly.

"Hang on, Meta," Jecra snapped. I lifted myself from the door and faced him.

"Did you hear –"

Knocks rang throughout the entire door, startling both of us. We scrambled backwards, and I nearly passed out; what was I to do – where was I to go?! I knew I needed to hide, but there were no places to be found for me to fit, even how small I was.

"Jecra, it's Sir Arthur. I need to speak with you."

Jecra turned a shade of white as he began to panic. "One moment, please!" he cried in the most calm manner he could.

I, on the other hand, stared in awe at the door. The deep voice – Arthur's voice – was just like the voice when I landed in Nightmare's ship on the planet…

"_It wouldn't end like this for a Star Warrior."_

It was Arthur who spoke to me! He found his way to me somehow…or was it I who found my way to him?

Before I could think any longer, my hand was snatched up by Jecra. He leaped over to a closet that was mounted next to his bed and thrust it open, tossing me inside. I hit the inside wall with a dull thud, sending shockwaves of sting throughout my back. I cringed, but fell on top of extra pieces of armor and capes. I carefully adjusted my position to be mildly comfortable; a slight movement would probably force the closet open and send me flying out.

I looked to my side and gazed out the five slits in the door that shed light onto me. The door to our room opened before Jecra could approach it. He was still leaning against the closet door as two armored soldiers approached him. Both appeared to be my size and shape, with all of my features as well; capes, arms, hands, large feet and eyes that were one solid color. The warrior who was shutting the door wore a silver mask and armor accented with red trim. His scabbard was around the backside of him, and it certainly held no sword; it was something bigger. The other, the one that stood farther in front, had amazing golden armor decorated with ivory and emerald. His scabbard sat at his side firmly, carrying an air of pride.

My heart leapt.

Was this Arthur?


	11. X

_Here it is! Probably my favorite chapters out of the entire story so far! Took me long enough...man, I can't wait for school to be over with so I can write every single day! _

_Anywho, did all of you guys lose your souls or something? I'm only getting, like, three reviews on each chapter now. It's making me sad and slightly unmotivated. And unmotivation means bad things if you know what happened to Draw. But I'm VERY thankful for those of you who ARE reviewing still. (...Maybe the traditional cookie trick will work.) REVIEW AND YOU SHALL GET COOKIES. COME AND GET EM, FOLKS. But seriously, at least drop me a PM or something to tell me you're reading but are too busy to review. Please._

_I know that Falspar, Dragato, and Noisurat's description doesn't follow what the anime suggests. I meant to do that. Falspar is SOOO much better with an axe and blue eyes. Dragato and I have this thing about the color red, and Noisurat is just awesome in green. Believe me. It'll make sense soon hopefully maybe yeah._

_Next chapter is--wait, I haven't started it yet. Do you guys want to see Ebisu or do you want the ship to take off next? Lemme know. _

_-Laz_

* * *

"Jecra," the golden-armored one growled, "what happened last night? I'm receiving mixed reports – two demon beasts entering the infirmary tent, three demons, one demon; even rumors are going around that multiple soldiers came after it. Tell me what's happening exactly; I'm tired of hearing all these claims."

There were two demon beasts, to be exact: the minion sent by Nightmare and me. Hopefully Jecra would keep me concealed.

"Sir Arthur, I have to say that what I told you last night was true. I was the only soldier there." Jecra stepped forward slightly from the closet door. So it _was_ Arthur, but who was the other one?

"How many demon beasts were there?" the other asked. Jecra hesitated for a moment. I held my breath, praying that he wouldn't blow my cover. I couldn't help but to wonder why he was pausing for such a long time; Jecra kept telling me that he would figure out a plan to protect me.

Arthur's companion stepped close to Jecra, sapphire eyes burning with agitation. "How many were there?"

"One." Jecra swallowed. I relaxed slightly upon hearing his answer; Jecra was becoming gauche before his superiors now. If Jecra didn't get his act together, I would be a dead puffball walking.

"Why did you hesitate when you answered?" the second asked after a short silence. Jecra paused, but before he could think for more than a few moments, Arthur held up a hand.

"Enough, Falspar – your question is getting nowhere." Arthur commanded. "Jecra, who was on guard last night? If they let some monster into your campsite without thinking, I will have their head."

I winced at the threat. Surely he would not be that cruel to someone who made a mistake; Arthur was too benevolent to kill someone. But the happening last night almost cost Garlude's life, and mine. I was unsure of letting an intruder accidentally pass into a camp was a serious crime or not.

"I'm not sure, Sir. It might have been Percival or Aglovale…" Jecra trailed off now, trying to recall names. If he was trying to lie, this was a better attempt. The door started to give, cracking open slightly. I scooted myself backwards, putting my hands against the sides of the small space. Jecra slammed a palm against the door, jamming it shut temporarily. I jumped at the sound, but didn't dare move an inch afterwards.

"…Is there something wrong with your closet?" Arthur asked. I shut my eyes; what a disaster.

"Too many swords, I guess…" Jecra forced a laugh. Falspar crossed his arms.

"You only were granted one."

Jecra panicked once more. "D-did I say 'swords'?! I meant capes – shields – armor – I mean, you know how it is: a soldier just has too many things."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Though he was a swift warrior, he was certainly inept at lying. I was almost embarrassed for him.

"Are you ill, Jecra? You're not acting like yourself." Arthur's voice was concerned, but his patience was wearing thin. Jecra stammered out an answer.

"I-I just didn't get much sleep last night, Sir. You know, with the attack and all." It was mildly the truth, but he had to be more convincing. The two leaders were hard to fool.

My foot slipped on one of his capes, causing me to slide down onto them. I gasped aloud, despising my clumsiness, even with all the new skills I had been given. The closet door opened a little again, and Jecra had to fight it hard to get it to stay shut. I struggled to keep myself upright. Arthur and Falspar had to leave quickly, or else I would be found out.

"Get them to leave, Jecra." I whispered. Everyone perked up at my voice and I cursed in my head. Arthur spoke.

"What was –"

Jecra patted his stomach. "Oh! My stomach! I'm hungry, of course. I haven't had time to get breakfast at all!"

"Why wouldn't you have time? You've had the entire morning to get on board." Falspar pressed. Out of the two, he was on to something. He stared at the closer door almost as if he could see through it, narrowing his eyes.

"My tent had problems…"

"You were the first person to get on here. I heard you." Falspar said. Jecra narrowed his eyes back at him. Of all the things to do, he had to pick _that_ move.

"You're assuming that it was me?? What if it wasn't?" Jecra argued. He stepped away from the closet. I held onto the sides for my life; it was now up to me to keep myself hidden.

"And what if it was? You talk loudly, Jecra, and I believe someone was with you as well." His gaze started over to the closet. I froze and my eyes widened. He was definitely latching onto something.

"It was probably Lionel and Gawain!"

"They get on last. Past experience tells me that."

"Past experience tells me you are a ridiculous little puffball with no sense at all!" Jecra was fuming now, but Falspar was calm as ever. That was definitely a huge insult to a superior, but Falspar's forte was definitely whipping out comebacks and standing ground. Arthur had now stepped between the two, pushing them both aside.

"Enough, you two. Honestly, I am just about sick and tired of both of you arguing all the time," Arthur said. "I do not need to know who got on this ship first or last; all I want to know is what exactly happened last night. Tell me every last detail, Jecra. That is an order."

Jecra swallowed nervously. It would be impossible to tell the entire story without including me in it. Arthur waited in strained silence. Falspar looked to my bed, appearing to examine it thoroughly. I gasped; the blanket was slightly misplaced from me stroking it so much. He looked up at Arthur, then back at the sheets. Arthur took notice of it quickly as well.

"Jecra, what is going on?"

That was it; I was hopeless. Snapping my eyes shut, I began to pray for a miracle.

"Nothing, Sir."

Arthur wasn't falling for it in the least bit. "Jecra, do _not_ lie to me. You are hiding something from me and I demand to know what it is."

"There isn't anything going on, really."

"Step away from the closet, Jecra. Do it now or I will force you to." Falspar commanded, reaching for his scabbard on his back. Jecra leaned against the door in response.

"Doesn't that go against the whole privacy rule that the council decided on a while back?" Jecra replied nervously. If only I could do something to help him; at this rate, it would not end well for the both of us. "I mean, really, Arthur, you don't want to see all of the stuff I have in there. It's just clutter."

"Move aside." Arthur insisted, setting a hand on the hilt of his sword. His tone was threatening enough to make me question if Jecra was going to obey it.

My arms gave suddenly. I hit the mass of capes and armor, bounced off of them and impacted with the door. I let out a soft moan of pain and distress. Jecra's strength in holding the door back was beginning to weaken. What was worse was that I did not know what was happening outside of the space. I could only hope that Arthur or Falspar were not approaching me. I tried to back up, but my foot was tangled in a cape. If I tried to free myself, I would run a high risk of throwing the door open. I was helplessly stuck.

"Jecra." they both growled in unison. I started to feel the door open with me leaning against it. Jecra was moving away. I felt like shouting at him, begging for mercy –

In a flash, I met the light, hit the ground, and bounced directly in front of Arthur. The closet's contents came tumbling out after me. I kept my eyes glued shut so I wouldn't see anyone's expressions, shocked or angry. I sat before Arthur and Falspar now; it was all or nothing.

I opened my eyes as I heard weapons withdrawn, both frightfully beautiful. Arthur wielded a golden sword equivalent to the color of his armor, and Falspar held a sturdy silver axe. Both of their stares were piercing and unmerciful. They knew what they were looking at: a demon beast; a minion of Nightmare; their enemy.

"Jecra, you traitor, how could you bring one of Nightmare's minions on our ship?!" Arthur exclaimed, glancing up at the Star Warrior. Jecra froze in his position, trying to think of an answer. Before he could, Arthur stared down at me, eyeing me over. "What are you called?"

My mind went blank under the pressure and anxiety. This was Sir Arthur; he was the person I had been waiting to meet for years, and he was actually speaking to me! I found it to be both joyful and nerve-racking. His sword was becoming dangerously close to my face.

"Your superior just asked you a question." Falspar hissed. "Answer it before you meet your real creator."

Despite the severity of his comment, I answered quickly. "It's Meta!" I yelped. I revised my tone and answered again. "…My name is Meta."

Then, something odd happened. Both of them, Arthur first, lowered their weapons gently. He appeared shocked, as if a sword had just stabbed through his heart. I blinked in wonder. What was wrong with him?

"Meta…" Arthur echoed. "You can't be him…"

His blade turned vertically and he brought it up to my cheek. I winced at the cold touch of it, but I didn't move. Arthur let his sword fall and he finally sheathed it.

"…But you are."

I let silence respond for me before I got the nerve to say something. "Y-you know me?"

"Your parents," Arthur asked, pulling me to my feet, "were they Ai and Hiroshi?"

The sounds of the names were like a loud gong. I remembered now; they _were_ Ai and Hiroshi. Ai, my mother, had a sweet, caring nature and gave me my topaz eyes. Hiroshi, my father, was protective of my mother and me and gave me my sapphire skin. They both died trying to protect the Star Warrior that was me in an attack led by Nightmare.

"Y-yes…!"

"Forgive me for being so sudden, Meta, but this moment is as well." Arthur said. "I knew your parents very well. I had to leave for a long time, but when I came back, your mother and father showed me you: their new son."

Arthur took in a breath, about to say more, but he glanced up at Jecra and stopped himself. I wanted to urge him for more, but I was so stuck in the moment that I could not think straight.

Instead, Arthur substituted another thought soon after. "What a miracle; I thought you would be dead after all those attacks after you were born."

Throughout the entire explanation, Jecra walked up behind me and started to place a hand on my shoulder. Arthur held up a hand, and Jecra dropped his arm. I was still in shock as to what was happening; it was all going so fast.

Arthur grabbed one of my hands and turned it slowly, examining it. His eyes trailed up to mine and he sighed.

"Oh, Meta…look at what Nightmare's done to you…" I could tell Arthur was frowning behind his golden mask. I looked away but brought my eyes back to his. I knew I could trust him just as well as I could Jecra.

"I know. I apologize for my dishonorable appearance, Sir. It was not my intention to come off to you as a demon beast." I explained. "But I'm not sure I quite understand. How could you have known my parents, and how could you have remembered me so easily?"

Before he could answer, the door flew open, revealing another masked puffball. I could tell by his unarmored arms that he was a bright crimson red. His eyes were yellow, but paler than mine, behind his mask. He carried an air of less authority, but more of an easy-going attitude.

"I hate to interrupt, Arthur, but there's damage to the engine room's floor. Do you want us to weld it up?" he asked. Arthur turned to him and nodded.

"Yes, of course, Dragato. If there was a demon beast aboard now, it would've been caught before it took two steps." Arthur said. Dragato started to turn towards the door, but he stopped and eyed me over. I blinked innocently as he remained frozen in his tracks. He was thinking of something; trying to remember my face, perhaps. He wouldn't, and we both knew it well.

I blushed as the moments stretched to seemingly long hours. His eyes remained glued to me and suddenly his carefree aura became perplexed and tense. I frowned and looked down, fiddling with my cape. Arthur saved me before Dragato could say a word.

"Thank you, Dragato. We'll discuss later." Arthur cleared his throat. Dragato continued out the door, eyes still fixated on me. I heaved a sigh as the door latched shut. "Now, then, Meta, I would like you and Jecra to come upstairs and speak with me in about an hour's time. Thank you both."

Falspar was the first to head towards the door, and he, too, gazed at me thoughtfully as he made his way out. I watched his graceful exit and couldn't help but to stare at his feet the entire time. They moved with such skill and eloquence. There was no doubt that he was a true warrior, a Star Warrior at that. The only question was, did he trust me in the least bit?

Arthur followed him out. This time, it was his cape that I watched. Unlike mine, his was made of dazzling golden silk that matched his armor. It was light and airy, but at the same time, it presented itself in a manor that added to his character: strong and true. There was no doubt that he was a true leader.

I smiled, realizing that I had accomplished my life-long dream of meeting Sir Arthur of the Galaxy Soldier Army. Though meeting Sir Falspar was an added bonus, I couldn't help but feel confused about him still. There was something about him that made me sense danger.

Before he closed the door, Arthur turned back to me with pleased eyes and said:

"It was a pleasure seeing you again, Meta."


End file.
